Odi Invasion: FG To Pay N37.6bn Compensation

A Federal High Court sitting in Port Harcourt, yesterday ordered the Federal Government to pay N37.6billion to victims of Odi Massacre when the military invaded the community twelve years ago.

In his judgement, the presiding judge, Justice Lambo Akanbi insisted that the payment should be made within twenty-one days. Out of that amount, N20billion should be paid as general damages while N17.6billion would be for ordinary damages.

Describing the action of the military as genocidal and gross violation of the victims right to life and property, Justice Akanbi in suit No FHC/PH/CP/11/2000 debunked the notion that the troops were in Odi to flush out secessionist militants who killed seven policemen.

He submitted that President Goodluck Jonathan’s recent statement on Nigeria Television Authority was glaring that no so-called militants were killed but innocent victims during the Odi invasion. He also acknowledged the President’s acquiescence to the rule of law.

The plaintiffs had , through their counsels, led by Lucius Nwosu, (SAN), Ifedayo Adedipe (SAN) and Lawal Rabana (SAN) asked the court to  declare that invasion of Odi by the military was a gross violation of the people’s’ right to life and personal liberty.

Subsequently, Justice Akanbi ruled that the Federal Government’s soldiers utterly violated the fundamental human rights of the victims. He also issued a perpetual injunction restraining the respondents from invading the community again.

”It would be recalled that five policemen and four soldiers were killed in 1999 by a group of Niger Delta militants when they tried to enter the town of Odi in Bayelsa State in order to effect their arrest. This happened in 1999.

After the brutal killing of these security personnel, President Olusegun Obasanjo asked the then Governor of Bayelsa State, Governor Diepreye Alamieyeseigha, to identify, locate, apprehend and hand over the perpetrators of that crime and when it was not possible, he (Obasanjo) moved in the military.

“The Governor said that he was unable to do so and President Obasanjo, as the Commander-in-Chief of the Nigerian Armed Forces, took the position that security personnel could not be killed with impunity under his watch without a strong and appropriate response from the Federal Government. Consequently, he sent the military in, to uproot  the militants and to destroy their operational base which was the town of Odi. The operation was carried out with military precision and efficiency and its objectives were fully achieved.

L-R: Vice-President Namadi Sambo, President Goodluck Jonathan, Senate President, David Mark, Former President Olusegun Obasanjo, Former President, John Kufour of Ghana and Minister of Water Resources, Mrs Sarah Ochekpe, at a Presidential Summit on Water in Abuja, on Monday.