A Federal
High Court in Port Harcourt has fined the Federal Government over 37 billion naira damages over the
killing and destruction of lives and property during the invasion of Odi
community in Bayelsa State by the military in 1999.
A
judgment delivered by Justice Lambo Akambi found the soldiers deployed to Odi
community during the Obasanjo administration culpable of unlawful killing and
gross human rights violation in the case instituted by a team of eminent
Nigerian lawyers and international human right groups on behalf of the people.
Justice
Lambo Akambi said over seventy billion naira of the money is for special
damages while twenty billion naira is for general damages.
The court
ordered the federal government to pay the money to the people of Odi community
within 3 weeks from the date of judgment.
The Lead
counsel to the people of Odi community Luscious Wosu described the judgment as
sound, consistent with truth and a victory to the Nigeria Judiciary.
Some
legal representatives from the office of the Attorney General of the Federation
told our correspondent Emeka Idika that they will study the judgment and decide
on what next to do.
In the
meantime, Amnesty International has hailed the judgment of the federal high court in Port-Harcourt
which found the Nigeria government culpable over the Odi massacre in 1999.
The
coordinator of the Stakeholders Democracy Network of Amnesty International
Joseph Croft described the decision of the court as a landmark judgment.
He said
the verdict has shown that Nigerians can get justice in their own country over
human rights violation no matter how long it takes.
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