Court Restrains FG Over Ijaw Community

PRESIDENT UMARU YAR'ADUA.

Asaba (THEWILL) - A Federal High Court sitting in Asaba, Delta State capital, has restrained the Federal Government and its agents from preventing residents of 52 Ijaw communities in Delta from returning to their homes.

Justice Marcel Awokulehin gave the order in his ruling on the motion for interlocutory injunction filed by the communities in the Gbaramatu Kingdom.

The court also fixed Jan. 27 next year for hearing of the substantive suit filed by the communities against the Federal government and the Joint Military Task Force (JTF).

The communities had sought for a N100 billion damages from the Federal Government for the lives and property “wantonly destroyed’’ by the JTF during the invasion.

President Umaru Yar’Adua, Maj-Gen Sarkin Yaki Bello of JTF and the Chief of Defence Staff were also joined in the suit.

The communities also joined the Chief of Army Staff, the Chief of Naval Staff, the Chief of Air Staff and the Attorney General of the Federation in the suit.

Reliefs sought by the communities, which were also granted by Awokulehin at Monday’s ruling, included an injunction restraining the defendant from further attacking the plaintiffs pending the determination of the main suit.

They also sought for an order restraining the defendants from further disrupting the education of the plaintiff’s children.

The Ijaw communities also wanted Awokulehin to restrain the defendants from further disturbing the peaceful enjoyment of their environment in the Gbaramatu Kingdom.

The court also fixed Jan 27 next year for parties to adopt their respective written addresses in the N1 billion damages suit filed by the Gbaramatu monarch, Chief Godwin Bebenemibo, against the Federal Government.

The monarch is challenging the invasion of his palace in Oporoza, Gbaramatu May 15 by the JTF.

Bebenemibo had sought for a declaration that the invasion was illegal and unconstitutional as it violated his fundamental right to privacy.

He also sought for a declaration that the forceful seizure and continued military occupation of his palace by agents of the respondent was illegal and unconstitutional.

Chief Fedude Zimughan appeared for the affected communities while Mr. Emmanuel Okosun held the brief of Mr. Augustine Alegeh (SAN) for the Federal Government at Monday’s court session.

Zimughan and Okosun said they were satisfied with the court’s ruling.