Kenule Beeson Saro-Wiwa (10 October 1941 – 10 November 1995) was a Nigerian author, educator, television producer, and advocate for social justice.
KEN SARO-WIWA PROFILE
| Name | Ken Saro-Wiwa |
| Real Name | Kenule Beeson Saro-Wiwa |
| Date Of Birth | 10 October 1941 |
| Date Of Death | 1o November 1995 |
| State Of Origin | Rivers State |
| Nationality | Nigerian |
| Occupation | Teacher And Author |
| Religion | Christian |
| Marital Status | Married |
| Net Worth | N/A |
| Copied From | Contents101.com |
KEN SARO-WIWA BIOGRAPHY
Born on October 10, 1941, in Bori, Ogoniland (in present-day Rivers State), Nigeria. Ken was born into a prominent Ogoni family and grew up in a culturally rich and politically aware environment. His father, Chief Jim Wiwa, was a respected community leader. From an early age, Ken showed a strong aptitude for academics, leadership, and advocacy.
EDUCATIONAL BACKGROUND
Saro-Wiwa attended Government College Umuahia, one of the most prestigious secondary schools in Nigeria. He went on to study English at the University of Ibadan, graduating with honors in 1965.
CAREER
He began his professional life as a civil servant and later became an academic, teaching at the University of Lagos. However, he soon left academia to focus on writing and public service. During the Nigerian Civil War (1967–1970), he served as the civilian administrator for the oil-rich region of Bonny in the Niger Delta, where he witnessed firsthand the exploitation and environmental degradation caused by oil companies.
Saro-Wiwa gained national fame as a writer, especially for his satirical television series Basi and Company and his acclaimed novel Sozaboy: A Novel in Rotten English. He authored numerous books and essays criticizing corruption, environmental injustice, and ethnic marginalization in Nigeria.
In the 1990s, he became a vocal leader of the Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People (MOSOP), which campaigned non-violently against the environmental destruction of Ogoniland by multinational oil companies, particularly Royal Dutch Shell, and for greater political autonomy and resource control for the Ogoni people.
CONTROVERSIES
Saro-Wiwa’s activism put him at odds with the Nigerian military regime of General Sani Abacha. In 1994, following a protest against Shell and the government, he was arrested and accused of inciting the murder of four Ogoni chiefs. Despite widespread international condemnation and evidence suggesting the charges were politically motivated, he was convicted by a special military tribunal in a trial widely criticized for its lack of fairness.
PERSONAL LIFE
Kenule was a devoted father and family man. He had several children, including Ken Wiwa (Ken Saro-Wiwa Jr.), who later became a journalist and government advisor.
KEN SARO-WIWA NET WORTH
At the time of his death, Ken Saro-Wiwa’s net worth was not documented. He was more invested in activism and writing than in accumulating personal wealth.
DEATH
On November 10, 1995, Ken Saro-Wiwa and eight other Ogoni activists—collectively known as the “Ogoni Nine”—were executed by hanging in Port Harcourt. Their execution sparked international outrage, led to Nigeria’s suspension from the Commonwealth, and marked a turning point in the global environmental justice movement.