Waterfront Demolition: Court slams Rivers Govt With N1.1bn Damages
Barikui Felix
A Rivers State High Court has ordered the Rivers State Government to pay a substantial sum of N1.1 billion to residents of the Mile One and Two waterfronts in Port Harcourt, whose properties were demolished and land taken over by the government under the administration of Nyesom Wike.
The affected residents, who filed a suit in 2022, accused the state government of violating their fundamental human rights. The court, in its ruling, agreed with the plaintiffs, stating that the government had failed to notify them before demolishing their properties and had not provided compensation or alternative shelter.
Justice Sika Aprioku, who delivered the judgment, noted that the government could not prove that it had purchased the land from the residents, who are the rightful owners. The court was critical of the government’s actions, stating that the police force was used to evict residents and take over the land under the guise of urban renewal and public development.
The court awarded N900 million in compensation for the violation of the applicants’ rights, along with an additional fine of N200 million. Counsel for the applicants, Tonye Igeri, expressed satisfaction with the judgment, saying, “The ruling would go a long way in restoring hope for the victims, many of whom were left homeless by the government’s actions.”
Igeri recounted the background of the case, saying, “The case started in 2022 as a result of the forced eviction and demolition of property occupied by the applicants at the Diobu Waterfront.”
He noted that the case had faced several challenges, including attempts by some Port Harcourt chiefs to join the case, which the court ultimately struck out.
Igeri stated that the next step would be to ensure that the awarded sum is paid to the applicants. “The next thing is for us to see how we can get the sum that was awarded so that the applicants will be happy because most of them have died and some have nothing left with them,” he said. This will go a long way to encouraging and assuaging them.
In his final remarks, Igeri offered advice to the government, urging it to consider and be transparent in its future actions. My advice to the government is, as the court stated, when carrying out exercises of this function, we need to identify the persons who have buildings in this area, see how to accommodate them, or provide alternative shelter for them,” he stated. Those who are not comfortable with that arrangement should be adequately compensated, as the court has said.
