A High Court in Port Harcourt has
ordered the Federal Government to pay N37.6bn as compensation to victims of the
military invasion of Odi community in Bayelsa State.
The court ordered that a special
damage of N17.6bn and a general damage of N20bn be paid to the community as
compensation.
It also issued a permanent injunction
restraining the respondents and their agents from attacking Odi again.
Soldiers had on November 20, 1999,
invaded Odi community after 12 policemen were killed by a group of militants
within the area.
But the people of the area in Bayelsa
State had dragged the Federal Government to court, demanding N20bn as damages
for gross violation of the their rights.
Ruling on the matter on Tuesday in a
class suit No.FHC/PH/CP/11/2000 filed by Professor Kobina Keme-Ebi Imananagha,
Chief Ndu Gwagha, Chief Shadrack Agadah, Mr. Idoni Ingezi and Mr. Nwaka
Echomgbe, the presiding judge, Justice Lambo Akambi, also ordered that the
payment be made within the next 21 days.
Akanbi described the attack on the
people of Odi as genocidal, reckless, brutish and a gross violation of the
rights of the victims to life and to ownership property.
Counsel for the plaintiffs, Lucius
Nwosu (SAN), Lawal Rabana (SAN) and Ifedayo Adedipe (SAN), prayed the
court to affirm that the invasion of Odi by soldiers and the attack on innocent
indigenes of the community was a gross violation of the people’s fundamental
human rights to life, dignity and personal liberty.
The counsel for the Minister of
Defence and a director in the ministry, Mallam Jimoh Adamu, had earlier told
the court that he had filed new application seeking for an extension of time,
arguing that his principal was not served any of the court processes.
The presiding judge, however,
dismissed the application, after going through the courts records and found out
that the Attorney General of the Federation was served the court processes.
Justice Akanbi described the claim by
counsel for President Goodluck Jonathan that troops were deployed in Odi in
November 20, 1999 to flush out secessionist militants who had killed seven
policemen as false.
According to him, such a claim
contravenes the President’s recent statement on Nigerian Television Authority
that no militant was killed in Odi during the military incursion, but innocent
indigenes of the community.
Justice Akanbi pointed out that
Jonathan’s declaration on the matter was an acknowledgement of the enthronement
of the rule of law as opposed to the enthronement of guns.
According to him, the president’s
statement is a proof to the international community that Nigeria is now
governed by those who respect the law.
Describing the destruction of Odi as
comprehensive and total, Akanbi noted that nothing was spared by the marauding
soldiers.
He added that the Federal Government
brazenly violated the fundamental human rights of the victims to movement, life
and to own property and live peacefully in their ancestral home.
Nwosu, who is the lead counsel for
the plaintiffs, hailed the judge for his courage towards putting an end to
executive recklessness in the society.
Also, the counsel for the President
and Chief of Defense Staff, Akolika Awa Esq, commended the stance of the
presiding judge despite the outcome of the case.
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Politics