Civil Liberties Organisation (CLO) has urged the Federal Government to obey a court ruling in Niger State and pay N1.1 trillion judgment debt to Samboro Community in Rafi Local Council, for the destruction of their livelihoods and forceful eviction.
The organisation said this became necessary following the plight of the inhabitants of Samboro, who were forcefully ejected and displaced from their communal land following an alleged poor design and construction of Zungeru Hydro-electric Power Dam in the state.
Addressing journalists in Abuja, yesterday, Executive Director of the CLO, Ibuchukwu Ezike, observed that trouble started for the community when Zungeru Hydro-electric Dam overflowed and released unimaginable volume of water into the community, which, within days, washed away the livelihood and homes of the inhabitants.
Construction of the dam was awarded to a consortium of Chinese firms by the Federal Government through the Federal Ministry of Mines and Power.
Ezike alleged that the Federal Government failed to come to the aid of its own people, who were left to survive on their own, amid the devastation by the dam.
Dissatisfied with the government’s behaviour, the head of Samboro, Abubakar Usman, and 2,844 other community members, on April 27, 2023, filed a complaint with the court in case number NSHC/ Kut/6/2023.
Counsel to the Samboro community, Mohammed Ndarani Mohammed (SAN), who filed the suit, challenged the government on the impact of the dam on the community and demanded compensation.
Justice Mohammed Adishetu Mohammed of High Court IV in Minna, Niger State, after hearing all the parties, including lawyers of the government, ordered the Federal Ministry of Mines and Power to pay N1.1 trillion damages to the community.
CLO noted that since the Federal Ministry of Mines and Power cited three main culprits, it expressed concern that there might be surreptitious actions by the Federal Government to delay or deny the affected community the benefit of the court judgment.
It, therefore, appealed to President Bola Tinubu to uphold the rule of law as a critical component of democracy by directing the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation to ensure full compliance with the judgment without further delay.
