Court Awards ₦20billion Damages Against Nigerian Government Over 2005 Military Killings, Invasion Of Bayelsa Town, Odioama
Court Awards ₦20billion Damages Against Nigerian Government Over 2005 Military Killings, Invasion Of Bayelsa Town, Odioama
According to the statement, the respondents had challenged the jurisdiction of the court in an attempt to prevent the case from proceeding.
The Bayelsa State High Court has awarded ₦20 billion in general damages against the Nigerian government over the alleged unlawful killings, torture and destruction of property during the military invasion of Odioama Kingdom in Brass Local Government Area of Bayelsa State in February 2005.
The judgment, delivered on Monday, September 28, 2026, was described by the Odioama Kingdom as a historic victory for the rule of law, human dignity and the people of the community, more than two decades after the military operation.
In a statement signed by Barr. J.J. Calmday, Legal Adviser, Odioama in the Diaspora and member of the Odioama Kingdom Legal Team, the community said the court dismissed a Preliminary Objection filed by the respondents, including the President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, the Ministry of Defence and the Chief of Defence Staff.
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According to the statement, the respondents had challenged the jurisdiction of the court in an attempt to prevent the case from proceeding.
The statement said the court, however, established its jurisdiction to hear the matter under the Fundamental Rights (Enforcement Procedure) Rules.
It described the decision as an affirmation that “no state actor, including the Federal Government or the military, is above the constitution.”
The community said the judgment was particularly significant because it addressed what it described as more than 20 years of trauma suffered by the people of Odioama following the military operation.
According to the statement, the ₦20 billion general damages were awarded in consequence of three major issues arising from the 2005 invasion.
These included “the unlawful killings of innocent, defenseless civilians during the state-sanctioned military invasion of February 2005”; “the dehumanising, cruel, and degrading treatment meted out against the traditional institution—specifically the King and Chiefs of Odioama Kingdom”; and “the comprehensive pillaging and widespread destruction of the properties of innocent citizens.”
The community said the judgment represented a major legal vindication for residents who had endured the consequences of the military operation for more than two decades.
“The judiciary has wiped away the tears our People, although, no amount of monetary compensation can bring back the lives violently cut short or fully erase the psychological scars of the 2005 invasion,” the statement said.
It added that the “₦20 Billion judgment” sent an “unequivocal message” that the Nigerian military was constitutionally mandated to protect citizens rather than destroy communities.
The statement also acknowledged individuals and groups who, according to the community, played significant roles in pursuing justice over the incident.
It particularly commended the then Chief Sunday Igbogisa-Indawari-led Executive of the Odioama Kingdom Council of Chiefs, as well as Hon. (Barr) Philemon K. Dickson and Mr. Forcebray Iniegha Eketekpe.
The community also praised the entire Odioama populace for refusing to succumb to despair throughout the lengthy legal process.
“We salute the bravery of the then Chief Sunday Igbogisa -Indawari led Executive of the Odioama Kingdom Council of Chiefs and the very patriotic roles played by Hon. (Barr) Philemon K. Dickson and Mr. Forcebray Iniegha Eketekpe, and the entire Odioama populace who refused to succumb to despair,” it said.
The community urged the Federal Government to accept the judgment in good faith and take steps toward reconciliation.
“We urge the Federal Government of Nigeria to accept this judgment in good faith, offer a public apology, and immediately comply with the monetary orders of the court as a step toward genuine national healing,” the statement said.
The statement described the judgment as a historic moment for the community, saying, “Justice has finally flowed down like waters for Odioama Kingdom.”
The statement was dated September 29, 2026, and signed electronically by Barr. J.J. Calmday in his capacity as Legal Adviser, Odioama in the Diaspora and member of the Odioama Kingdom Legal Team.
The February 2005 military operation in Odioama has remained a major source of grievance for residents, with the community alleging killings, mistreatment of traditional rulers and widespread destruction of property.
The latest judgment, according to the community, brings a significant legal development in its long-running quest for accountability and compensation over the alleged abuses.
The coastal settlement of Odioma, one of the oldest communities in the Nembe Kingdom was invaded and reduced to rubbles by a combined team of army and navy under the auspices of the Joint Task Force.
Afterwards, OPERATION Restore Hope, the Joint military Task Force (JTF) on the Niger Delta, defended its invasion of Odioma, Brass council area of Bayelsa State, saying it took the action to curb the rising wave of cultism and armed militancy in the area.
JTF alleged that the cultists “known as Isena Asawo led by Mr Clever Osei Farekuma” had constituted themselves into armed escorts to illegal oil bunkerers and pipeline vandals in the area.
