Source: Guardian Newspaper (Breaking News Evening Edition On Internet)
Date: July 06, 2007[b][/b]


A Federal High Court in Enugu has awarded N41.8 billion as damages to some Benue State indigenes over the invasion of their communities by soldiers in October 2001. The court granted the prayers of the plaintiffs, who had sued the military for N100 billion for invading Logo, Ukum, Kwande and Katsina-Ala local councils of the state. The plaintiffs include the president of Benue Development Association, Dr. Alexander Gaadi and 13 others. Their counsel, Mr. Ocha Ulegede, had deposed that during the invasion, "many hapless indigenes of the affected areas were killed, maimed and tortured''. He also alleged that many girls and women were raped, while buildings and other properties were destroyed by the military. Ulegede said the soldiers were deployed by the Federal Government "on the pretext that they were searching for 19 missing colleagues of theirs.'' The presiding judge, Justice Lewis Allagoa said the deployment of the soldiers to the areas was unconstitutional and undemocratic. He said the retention of such "soldiers of occupation'' in a civil society without war or breakdown of law and order had caused the plaintiffs psychological problems." He noted that the incident was injurious to the plaintiffs and bound to bring hardship to them, by curtailing their movement and activities. Allagoa therefore awarded N29.8 billion to the first plaintiff as special damages for his demolished property and another N2 billion as general damages. The court also awarded N10 billion to all the plaintiffs jointly as general damages against the defendants severally. Joined in the suit as defendants are former President Olusegun Obasanjo, then Commander-in-Chief of the Nigerian Armed Forces and the Minister of Defence. Others are the Chief of Army Staff and the Attorney-General of the Federation.

The Odi people of Niger Delta whose village was levelled, wives raped, children and adults maimed and killed should do the same. This will teach our law enforcement agents a lesson. I pray OBJ will not stand for trial one day for crimes against humanity.