Tina Amanda
A Rivers State high Court sitting in Port Harcourt has ruled in favour of the three thousand, nine hundred and ninety-eight (3998) shortlisted applicants for the Rivers State Neighbourhood Safety Corps Agency against the Nigerian Army and Chief of Defence Staff.
Recall that the three thousand nine hundred and ninety-eight (3998) shortlisted applicants had sort the leave of court on the breach of their fundamental human right by the Nigerian Army, who invaded their training camp at Nonwa in Tai local government area of the state and disrupted the training exercise in November 2018, leaving many wounded.
The applicants also sort the leave of court to compel the Defendants to pay the sum of twenty billion (20,000,000,000) naira as damages.
In his ruling, Justice S.C Amadi, ruled that the screening and training exercise of the applicants is constitutional, stressing that they are not illegal militias or terrorists as purported by the Nigerian Army in a press statement.
Justice Amadi ruled that the shortlisted applicants can continue with their screening and training exercise.
The Judge ruled that the actions of the Nigerian Army by invading the training camp is unlawful and against fundamental right of the applicants, and awarded the sum of one hundred thousand naira as cost to be paid by the Nigerian Army for damages.
Speaking to our correspondent, Tina Amanda, Samuel Amatonjie, Counsel to the applicants, said they are not satisfied with the one hundred thousand naira the court awarded as damages, stressing that it’s too small compared to the twenty billion naira they asked for.
According to him, the judgement is in conformity with the ruling of the federal high court of 30th September which affirmed that Neighborhood safety Corp Agency is constitutional as nothing is discriminatory with the law passed by Rivers State House Assembly legalizing the Agency operations.
On his part, Udemba Ngeleoka, Counsel to Nigerian Army, said the judgement is fair, as his clients were carrying out their duties before getting into trouble with the applicants.
He stressed that he will consult with his client and whatever is decided will determine their next line of action.
