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Email received from Esther Kiobel of Kiobel v Royal Dutch Shell

Screen Shot 2013-04-24 at 20.46.09There are also secret documents to prove how Shell tried to bribe my husband in an executive meeting at the government house in Port Harcourt, when they planned to arrest and kill Ken Saro-Wiwa. And when they did not succeed, they turned around to mastermind the killing of the Ogoni 4, in a bid to set confusion amongst the Ogoni people – a problem that has remained to date.

Unsolicited email received from Esther Kiobel of Kiobel v Royal Dutch Shell

Dear John,

Thank you for all that you are doing and contributing to the cause of the oppressed.

God bless you mightily and please keep up the good work.

The God of the widows and orphans will guide and lead/strengthening you to continue standing/fighting for the Oppressed.

Your readers may be interested in these extracts from an article about my court case against Royal Dutch Shell arising from Shell’s activities in Nigeria.

We are holding Shell responsible for the crimes committed against us and the rest of humanity. I was stripped naked, tortured, and locked up twice, while my husband and the rest of the Ogoni 9 were maimed, strangled, killed and acidized. I have proofs of those who were paid by Shell, and who were in their payroll to lie, testify, some of them sworn affidavit in court.  do have documents that implicate Shell. The documents were sent through my late husband’s office as Honorable Commissioner for Commerce and Tourism during the Komo administration as military governor of Rivers State. I do have pictures of Shell’s cronies airlifting my husband in their helicopter, dressed in uniform and helmet that bore Shell’s logo. There are also secret documents to prove how Shell tried to bribe my husband in an executive meeting at the government house in Port Harcourt, when they planned to arrest and kill Ken Saro-Wiwa. And when they did not succeed, they turned around to mastermind the killing of the Ogoni 4, in a bid to set confusion amongst the Ogoni people – a problem that has remained to date.

New undeniable evidence suggest the Nigerian military killed four Ogoni elders, whose murder led to the execution of my husband, Hon. (Dr.) Barinem Nubari Kiobel, Ken Saro-Wiwa and the rest in 1995.

The evidence also reveal that the notorious military commander, Lieutenant Colonel Paul Okuntimo, whose troops were implicated in murder and rape, was on the payroll of Shell at the time of the killings, and was driven around in a Shell vehicle, bearing the company’s logo.

Since the time of their death, Shell has insisted that it had no financial relationship with the Nigerian military, although it had admitted paying it “field allowances” on two occasions. They have consistently denied any widespread collusion and payments. However, the UK Independent gained exclusive access to witness accounts that were to be used in evidence in the case of Wiwa v Shell, brought by Ken Saro-Wiwa’s family. The case was settled out of court for $15.5 Million just days before it was due to start in New York. The settlement meant that the testimonies were never made public.

However, they provide fresh insight into Shell’s financial and logistic involvement with the Nigerian military and with Lieutenant Colonel Paul Okuntimo.

Some of the key witnesses due to testify in court were Mr. Ejiogu Boniface, Lieutenant Colonel Paul Okuntimo’s orderly in Internal Security Task-force, a coalition of army, navy, and police. Mr. Ejiogu testified to standing guard as victims were raped and tortured while Lieutenant Colonel Paul Okuntimo was in command. Asked if he ever saw his Commander receive money from Shell. He said he witnessed it on two occasions. Mr. Ejiogu described in detail how just days before the Ogoni elders were murdered, he drove with Okuntimo to Shell’s base in Port Harcourt, where the officer received seven large bags of money. “I was there when other soldiers were carrying Ghana-must-go bags” he testified. The bags were so heavy; the soldiers had difficulty carrying them, and one fell open. Mr. Ejiogu said, “I saw it was money in bundles,” he said.

On another occasion, Mr. Ejiogu witnessed four bags being given by a Shell security official to Lieutenant Colonel Paul Okuntimo at the official’s house late at night.

Another witness due to testify was Raphael Kponee. Also due to testify was a policeman working for Shell. On a different occasion, he saw three bags being loaded into Lieutenant Colonel Paul Okuntimo’s pick-up truck by his driver and another driver in front of security building at the Shell base.

Shell officials have admitted that money was paid to the officer, but purely as field allowances for his men who were protecting Shell property in Ogoni land.

Mr. Ejiogu also offers compelling evidence as to who may have murdered the Ogoni four elders at the meeting on May 21, 1994. Saro-Wiwa was due to speak, but was turned away by the military. Mr. Ejiogu said he heard Lieutenant Colonel Paul Okuntimo tell his task-force commander to “waste them.” In the army, they use the term “waste them” when they refer to shooting rapidly.

Within 24 hours, Kenule Saro-Wiwa, Barr. Ledum Mitte, and Hon. (Dr.) Barinem Nubari Kiobel were arrested and charged with murder. It was implied that they had had the elders killed because of their moderate stance on Ogoni issues.

Despite an international outcry, they were hanged on November 10, 1995, following a fake trial.

John, I will release the Kiobel v. Royal Dutch Shell evidence to you to publish after I am done with my case.

You are my hero and the whole world will surely know that when the time comes.

Regards
Mrs Esther Kiobel

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Esther Kiobel still intent on seeking justice

This website and sisters royaldutchshellgroup.com, shellnazihistory.com, royaldutchshell.website, johndonovan.website, and shellnews.net, are owned by John Donovan. There is also a Wikipedia segment.

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