Dauda Musa Komo
Encyclopedia
Lt. Colonel Dauda Musa Komo was Administrator of Rivers State
, Nigeria
from December 1993 to August 1996 during the military regime of General Sani Abacha
.
He took office at a time of escalating violence between the Ogoni and Okrika
people over crowded waterfront land, combined with Ogoni protest against Shell Oil
activities and the environmental destruction of Ogoni land. He reacted aggressively, sending troops to break up demonstrations and arresting leaders of the Ogoni's MOSOP movement.
In January 1994 Shell and other oil companies said they had lost $200 million in 1993 due to unrest in the Delta area, and called for urgent measures.
Komo formed the Rivers State Internal Security Task Force from army, navy, airforce, mobile police and state security personnel, headed by Major Paul Okutimo. The force acted brutally, destroying many Ogoni villages, killing or beating the people.
A letter that Okuntimo wrote to Komo in May 1994 said "Shell operations still impossible unless ruthless military operations are undertaken".
At a press conference on 2 August 1994, Komo and Okuntimo justified the use of terror to force the Ogoni into submission.
On 21 May 1994, four prominent Ogoni leaders were brutally murdered at a meeting of the Gokana Council of Chiefs and Elders.
The next day author and MOSOP leader Ken Saro-Wiwa
and others were arrested on charges of involvement in the murders. Komo proclaimed in advance that Saro-Wiwa was "guilty of murder". On 31 October 1995 a tribunal announced death sentences for Saro-Wiwa and eight other activists. All nine were executed on November 10, 1995.
(In 2009, Royal Dutch Shell agreed a $15.5m out-of-court settlement in a case brought by relatives of Saro-Wiwa and other Ogoni leaders who accused it of complicity in the human rights abuses at that time, although Shell denied wrongdoing).
Komo continued to detain supporters of the Ogoni people. The president of the National Union of Rivers State Students was arrested after organizing a demonstration on 10 December 1995, International Human Rights Day, to protest the execution of the Ogoni nine.
Anyakwee Nsirimovu, executive director of the Institute of Human Rights and Humanitarian Law, was detained in April 1996, apparently to prevent him from talking to members of a UN mission who were inquiring into the Saro-Wiwa case.
Komo was relieved of his position in August 1996.
After the restoration of democracy in May 1999, he was forced to retire from the army, as were all other former military administrators.
In the run-up to the 2003 elections for Kebbi State
governor, Komo was among the contenders to be nominated as the People's Democratic Party
(PDP) candidate, who by agreement was to come from the Zuru Emirate.
Rivers State
Rivers State is one of the 36 states of Nigeria. Its capital is Port Harcourt. It is bounded on the South by the Atlantic Ocean, to the North by Imo, Abia and Anambra States, to the East by Akwa Ibom State and to the West by Bayelsa and Delta states...
, Nigeria
Nigeria
Nigeria , officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a federal constitutional republic comprising 36 states and its Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. The country is located in West Africa and shares land borders with the Republic of Benin in the west, Chad and Cameroon in the east, and Niger in...
from December 1993 to August 1996 during the military regime of General Sani Abacha
Sani Abacha
General Sani Abacha was a Nigerian military leader and politician. A Kanuri from Borno by tribe, he was born and brought up in Kano, Nigeria. He was the de facto President of Nigeria from 1993 to 1998....
.
He took office at a time of escalating violence between the Ogoni and Okrika
Okrika
Okrika is a port town in Rivers State, Nigeria, capital of the Local Government Area of the same name. The town is situated on a small island just south of Port Harcourt, making it a suburb of the much larger city....
people over crowded waterfront land, combined with Ogoni protest against Shell Oil
Shell Nigeria
Shell Nigeria is the colloquial name for Royal Dutch Shell's Nigerian operations carried out through four subsidiaries—primarily through Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria Limited...
activities and the environmental destruction of Ogoni land. He reacted aggressively, sending troops to break up demonstrations and arresting leaders of the Ogoni's MOSOP movement.
In January 1994 Shell and other oil companies said they had lost $200 million in 1993 due to unrest in the Delta area, and called for urgent measures.
Komo formed the Rivers State Internal Security Task Force from army, navy, airforce, mobile police and state security personnel, headed by Major Paul Okutimo. The force acted brutally, destroying many Ogoni villages, killing or beating the people.
A letter that Okuntimo wrote to Komo in May 1994 said "Shell operations still impossible unless ruthless military operations are undertaken".
At a press conference on 2 August 1994, Komo and Okuntimo justified the use of terror to force the Ogoni into submission.
On 21 May 1994, four prominent Ogoni leaders were brutally murdered at a meeting of the Gokana Council of Chiefs and Elders.
The next day author and MOSOP leader Ken Saro-Wiwa
Ken Saro-Wiwa
Kenule "Ken" Beeson Saro Wiwa was a Nigerian author, television producer, environmental activist, and winner of the Right Livelihood Award and the Goldman Environmental Prize...
and others were arrested on charges of involvement in the murders. Komo proclaimed in advance that Saro-Wiwa was "guilty of murder". On 31 October 1995 a tribunal announced death sentences for Saro-Wiwa and eight other activists. All nine were executed on November 10, 1995.
(In 2009, Royal Dutch Shell agreed a $15.5m out-of-court settlement in a case brought by relatives of Saro-Wiwa and other Ogoni leaders who accused it of complicity in the human rights abuses at that time, although Shell denied wrongdoing).
Komo continued to detain supporters of the Ogoni people. The president of the National Union of Rivers State Students was arrested after organizing a demonstration on 10 December 1995, International Human Rights Day, to protest the execution of the Ogoni nine.
Anyakwee Nsirimovu, executive director of the Institute of Human Rights and Humanitarian Law, was detained in April 1996, apparently to prevent him from talking to members of a UN mission who were inquiring into the Saro-Wiwa case.
Komo was relieved of his position in August 1996.
After the restoration of democracy in May 1999, he was forced to retire from the army, as were all other former military administrators.
In the run-up to the 2003 elections for Kebbi State
Kebbi State
Kebbi State is a state in north-western Nigeria with its capital at Birnin Kebbi. The state was formed from part of Sokoto State in 1991. Kebbi State is bordered by Sokoto State, Niger State, Dosso Region in the Republic of Niger and the nation of Benin. It has a total area of...
governor, Komo was among the contenders to be nominated as the People's Democratic Party
People's Democratic Party (Nigeria)
The People's Democratic Party is a political party in Nigeria. Its policies generally lie towards the right wing of the political spectrum. It has won every single Presidential elections since 1999, namely: 1999, 2003, 2007, and 2011, and is the dominant party in the Fourth Republic.-History:In...
(PDP) candidate, who by agreement was to come from the Zuru Emirate.