Saro-Wiwa, Ken(ule) Beeson

Saro-Wiwa, Ken(ule) Beeson ( 1941 – 95 )
Nigerian writer who spoke out in the early 1990s against the then military regime and the environmental damage being caused by the Anglo-Dutch petroleum company Shell. Along with eight fellow activists, he was executed by hanging, provoking international condemnation, suspension of Nigeria from the Commonwealth, and calls for sanctions. In late 1995 Shell announced it was proceeding with a natural-gas project costing about $4 billion, one of the largest foreign investments ever made in Nigeria.