Written and compiled by a Nigerian student activist

A golden wreath for our dead patriots!
A wreath carefully woven with fear, hunger, rape and oppression.
A wreath psychologically designed at the theatre of our minds and ready to be laid at the graveside of our slain heroes and heroines.

Like a blood-thirsty Vampire, death pounced on our patriots like a predator on his harmless prey and snuffed life out of them all through various methods such as - assassinations, special hanging, food-poisoning, torturing to death, slow- motion death, letter bomb etc etc.

Dele Gowa was our unfortunate first casuality in the hands of the oppressors. Roughly ten years ago he was letter-bopmbed! Alfred Rewane was also forced to kiss the dust by the unknown assailants. A whole elderstatesman! Our great writer - Ken Saro-Wiwa and eight Ogoni activists were also dictatorially "framed up" in a murder charge and barbarically hanged and later criminally acidified.

Worst still, Kudirat Abiola was also checkmated by the icy claws of death. Death and its agents - be not proud for victory is at hand. Chief (Mrs) Bisoye Tejuosho was also compelled to swallow the bitter pill of death. Like a defenceless pawn on the oppressor's chess board they were all captured, mutilated and arrested as prisoners of war and later sent to early graves. When shall this bleeding stop in our fatherland?

Ken, slain as if he has not been annointed with oil to be the king of the minority right crusaders for ever and ever. What an international tragedy! Saro-Wiwa, the pungent scent of your revolutionary pen was too repulsive and oppressive to your detractors. He who lives by the pen must definitely die by the pen so goes the saying. What an irony for our dear patriot!

Since our pen must be used to increase the anxieties of the oppressive regimes. At the very least, the pen must be used to murder their sleep by constantly reminding them of their crimes against humanity.

"Lean on me when you are not strong" so goes the saying. Whom are we to lean on again that cannot be either assassinated or specially hanged by the tyrants and dictators of the world? We are all at the crossroads and quandry of life!

Today and always we remember you all and may your ebulient and patriotic souls rest in perfect peace. May those who have murdered sleep, sleep no more till the day of accountability.

We shall continue to weave golden wreaths and lay them all at the theatrical graveside situated in our sympathetic minds. Goodbye our dear martyrs of struggle for democrcy, justice, truth and human rights protection in our fatherland - NIGERIA.