LAGOS. Nov 10 Ken Saro Wiwa and eight other minor Hy rights activists conde mned to death by the Nige nan authorities were executed today the News Agen cy of Nigeria (NANI reported says Reuter

NAN quoting prison offl rials. said the nine men were tianged at Port Harcourt prison In southeastern Nige

Security and prison offl < lais told NAN the executions were carried out around 1130 local 11030 GMT) after priests prayed for the con demned men Their corpses were buried four hours later

Saro Wiwa who Is also a noted writer and his col leagues were sentenced by a tribunal last week over the murder in 1994 of four progovernment Ogoni tribal chiefs.

He had led a campaign for self-determination for the . Ogoni and to protect the environment in their homeland, which has been exploited by foreign oil companies.

Nigeria's military government had been under intense international pressure to spare their lives.