The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project
said the ECOWAS Court has entered judgment in
favour of some residents of Bundu Ama, in Port
Harcourt, who were brutalised by security forces
while protesting the demolition of their settlement by
the government in 2009.

According to SERAP, following the judgment of the
ECOWAS Court, the Federal Government of Nigeria
had paid the victims N6.5m as compensation.

The plaintiffs – Israel Okari, Joy Williams, Austin
Onwe, Tamno Ama, Victor Opium, Mark Bomowe,
Napoleon Tokubiye, Napoleon Tokubiye, Jonathan
Bokoko, Williams Tamuno and Linus John, had with
the support of SERAP instituted the suit numbered
ECW/CCJ/APP/10/10 against the government.

The plaintiffs, who were represented by Mr. Femi
Falana (SAN), had joined as the respondents in the
suit the Attorney General of the Federation and
former Rivers State Governor Rotimi Amaechi.

Also joined as respondents were the Rivers State
Commissioner for Justice and the state’s
Commissioner for Urban Development.

They had, in their statement of claims, averred that
armed security forces on 12 October 2009 “opened
fire on unarmed protesters in Bundu Ama, an
informal settlement in Port Harcourt, leaving at least
one person dead and 12 seriously injured.”

The plaintiffs also accused the Rivers State
government of aiding “the Federal government’s
planned large-scale demolitions of the city’s
waterfront settlements, home to at least 200,000
people.”

They further claimed, “The planned large-scale
demotions were developed without adequate
consultation with affected communities.

“Njemanze waterfront, a community close to Bundu
Ama, was demolished in August 2009 and an
estimated 13,800 to 19,000 people were forcibly
evicted from their homes. Thousands of people,
including children, women and the elderly, were left
homeless and vulnerable to other human rights
violations.”

According to SERAP, the court in its judgment, “ruled
that there was no justification for the shootings and
that the Nigerian government had breached its
obligation to protect and respect the right to peaceful
association and assembly.”

The court was said to have berated the Federal
Government for “its failure to investigate and
prosecute members of the security forces who killed
and injured protesters, violated the right to protest.”

And “awarded a total of N11m – nearly $70,000 USD –
in damages” in favour of the plaintiffs.
Reacting to the judgment, the Executive Director of
SERAP, Adetokunbo Mumuni, lauded the government
for complying with the court’s judgment and paying
the victims the compensation awarded to them.

“We welcome the payment of compensation by the
government. This shows that there is penalty for the
government when it allows its security forces to use
excessive force against peaceful protesters, and
unlawfully drive them away from their homes, with
tragic consequences for citizens and communities.
That was the case here.”

Mumuni, however, urged President Muhammadu
Buhari’s administration to implement the outstanding
orders of the ECOWAS Court in the case.


Cc:lalasticlala

Source: http://www.punchng.com/news/fg-pays-n6-5m-to-victims-of-rivers-community-shooting/

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