A Rivers State High Court sitting in Port Harcourt has delivered a landmark judgment, awarding N1.1 billion against the Rivers State Government.

The court?s decision stems from the unlawful demolition and forceful takeover of landed properties belonging to residents of waterfront communities in Port Harcourt City Local Government Area.

The affected residents, from areas such as Egede, Iruala, Elechi phase one, and others, had their properties demolished and taken over by the immediate past administration of Governor Nyesom Wike.

In 2022, the residents approached the court, alleging violations of their fundamental human rights.

In his judgment, the trial Judge, Justice Sika Aprioku, ruled that the Rivers State Government had indeed violated the fundamental rights of the applicants.

The court ruled that the government failed to notify the residents before demolishing their properties and could not prove that they had purchased the land from the residents.

The court also criticized the government for not providing shelter or compensation to the affected residents. Instead, the government used police and thugs to demolish the properties, chase away the residents, and take over the area for urban development.

Justice Aprioku therefore ordered that the state government should pay the sum of nine hundred million to the applications as cost of violation of their rights and two million naira as fine to the applicants in the suit.

Counsel to the applicants, Tonye Igeri who is a member of the Justice and empowerment Initiative in an interview with expressed happiness over the judgment which he said will go along way in restoring the hope of victims who have been rendered homeless by the actions of the government.

Counsel from Rivers State ministry of justice who represented Rivers State government declined to comment on the judgment. (The Guardian)