From Isaac Anumihe, Abuja
The Civil Liberties Organisation (CLO) has urged the Federal Government to pay a judgment debt of N1.1 trillion to the Samboro Community, which was displaced by the Zungeru dam disaster.
The inhabitants of Samboro Community in Madaka District, Rafi Local Government Area of Niger State were forcefully ejected and displaced from their communal land following a poor design and construction of the Zungeru Hydro-Electric Power Dam in the state.
Addressing newsmen, yesterday in Abuja on the plight of the inhabitants, the Executive Director of CLO, Ibuchukwu Ezike said that the group was invoking its power of advocacy under its democracy and governance mandate to draw local and international attention to the prevailing plight of the inhabitants of Samboro Community adding that the construction of the dam was awarded to a consortium of Chinese firms by the Federal Government through the Federal Ministry of Mines and Power
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The Executive Director of CLO said the organisation has put in place a series of activities to ensure the Federal Government obey a court ruling which granted succour to inhabitants of Samboro Community by awarding them the cost of N1.1 trillion for the destruction of their entire livelihoods and forceful eviction.
According to the group, trouble started for the community when Zungeru Hydro-Electric Dam overflowed and released an unimaginable volume of water into the community and within hours and days, washed away the livelihood and homes of the inhabitants.
As the devastating effects of the dam raged, the organisation alleged that the Federal Government failed to come to the aid of its own people who were left to survive on their own.
Dissatisfied with the government’s behaviour, Alhaji Abubakar Usman, the village head of Samboro Community and 2,844 other community members on April 27, 2023, filed a complaint with the court in case number NSHC/ Kut/6/2023.
The Samboro Community lawyer, Muhammed Ndarani Mohammed, (Senior Advocate of Nigeria), who filed the suit challenged the government on the damaging impact of the dam on the community and demanded compensation.
Justice Mohammed Adishetu Mohammed of High Court 4 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 as compensation for damages caused to the affected community.
Describing the judgement as courageous and a landmark,
the CLO commended the legal depth of Honourable Justice Mohammed who handed down the order.
In the ruling, Justice Mohammed held that the construction of the Zungeru Hydro Power Dam in the Samboro Community caused immense hardship to the affected community’s agricultural activity as well as damaged their economic trees. He reaffirmed that the plaintiffs’ means of subsistence have consequently been irreparably affected.
“The plaintiffs are the original occupants of the large area of land located at Samboro Community, which makes up approximately 7,868 hectares in the Rafi Local Government Area of Niger State.
“This land is the subject of this case, as stipulated by section 41(1) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and sections 8(c) and (h) of the Hydro Electric Power Producing Areas Development Commission Act, 2010.
“They have been forcibly ejected from their ancestral homes; they have endured unimaginable hardship, and the defendants’ joint and multiple acts during the construction of the Zungeru Dam Project have resulted in ongoing flooding and erosional confrontations on the community’’ he said.
The court also directed the 1st defendant, the Minister of Mines and Power to pay the sum of N100,000,000 as general damages and cost of prosecuting the suit, legal representation and 10 per cent post-judgment interest per annum.
The CLO noted that since the Federal Ministry of Mines and Power has been cited as the main culprit, it expressed concern that there may 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 Ahmed 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 court judgement without further delay.