By: Mandy Willy
The President and Chief Executive Officer of the Ogoni Liberation Initiative (OLI), Dr. Fabeke Douglas, has announced the suspension of all public activities by the organisation following what he described as unresolved security concerns surrounding a planned attack on his office.
Dr. Douglas made this known in a statement issued in remembrance of November 10, a date globally recognised of the execution of environmental rights activist Ken Saro-Wiwa and eight other Ogoni leaders. He said he would commemorate the day privately by engaging with selected diplomatic leaders outside Nigeria to further promote the ideology of Saro-Wiwa and other fallen heroes.
Recalling the events that led to the suspension, Dr. Douglas said the attack which also occurred during a prayer gathering attended by over 1,000 persons and supported by security personnel from the Bori division remains fresh in his memory. He stated that he is awaiting an official police report on the incident, which, according to him, could have resulted in loss of lives but for divine intervention.
The OLI president further alleged that preliminary investigations revealed the involvement of multiple individuals, including those he previously held in high esteem. He also linked the historical circumstances leading to the execution of Saro-Wiwa and eight others to a “high-level conspiracy” among some Ogoni figures working with external interests focused on exploiting the region’s resources.
In the statement, Dr. Douglas appealed to members of the Ogoni Liberation Initiative to remain calm and prayerful pending the outcome of the ongoing investigations into the September 27, 2025, incident. He confirmed his personal withdrawal from public engagements on Ogoni-related matters until the issues are properly addressed.
He expressed deep concern about the increasing number of young people being drawn into what he termed “an evil network” seeking to destabilise Ogoni communities. He urged them to resist the lure of short-term benefits that could derail their future.
Dr. Douglas reaffirmed his conviction that justice and freedom will ultimately prevail, stating, “God’s judgment and freedom are intertwined.”
