A Rivers State High Court in Port Harcourt has ruled that the state government must pay N1.1 billion to residents whose properties were unlawfully demolished at Mile One and Two waterfronts in Port Harcourt City Local Government Area. The court found the government guilty of forcefully taking over the affected land without proper notification or legal acquisition.
Residents from areas including Egede, Iruala, Elechi Phase One, Elechi Beach Waterfront, Nanka, Ogwu Waterfront, Okwele, and Soku Waterfront sued the government in 2022 for violating their fundamental rights. In his ruling on Wednesday, Justice Sika Aprioku stated that the government failed to notify residents before demolitions and did not provide alternative housing or compensation.
The judge ordered the state to pay N900 million for rights violations and an additional N2 million as a fine. Speaking to journalists, the residents’ lawyer, Tonye Igeri from the Justice and Empowerment Initiative, expressed satisfaction with the ruling, stating it restores hope to the victims who were made homeless by the government’s actions.
Igeri emphasized the need for the government to properly identify affected property owners and provide alternative shelter or adequate compensation before carrying out future demolitions. A representative from the Rivers State Ministry of Justice declined to comment on the ruling.
