A Rivers State High Court sitting in Port Harcourt has awarded N1.1bn against the Rivers State Government for the unlawful demolition of properties and forceful takeover of land belonging to residents of the Mile One and Two waterfronts in the Port Harcourt City Local Government Area.
The land acquisition and property demlition happened under the Nyesom Wike administration.
The affected residents had filed a suit in 2022, accusing the state government of violating their fundamental human rights.
The affected communities, including Egede, Iruala, Elechi Phase One, Elechi Beach Waterfront, Nanka, Ogwu Waterfront, Okwele, and Soku Waterfront, had their properties demolished by the immediate past administration, and their land was forcefully taken.
They approached the court, seeking justice for the violations they suffered.
Delivering the judgment on Wednesday, Justice Sika Aprioku ruled that the applicants had proven that their rights were violated, as the Rivers State Government failed to notify them before demolishing their properties.
Justice Aprioku also stated that the government could not prove that it had purchased the land from the residents, who are the rightful owners.