The money, according to the court in Port Harcourt, will serve as damages for the harassment of the council chairman and two others during the presidential and National Assembly elections in February 2019.
The two others to benefit from the damages ordered by the court are Tobin’s Tobin’s and Damiete Dokubo, who were among the three, whose houses were raided by some soldiers during the polls.
Describing the actions of the military as anti-democratic, the presiding judge, Justice George Omereji, said it was wrong for the military to issue a statement indicting the council chairman and two others without granting them a fair hearing.
Justice Omereji, who directed that the Nigerian Army and the Chief of Army Staff pay the said sum as damages, faulted the military for hurriedly declaring the trio wanted without attempting to hear from them.
Speaking shortly after the court session, Ibim Dokubo, counsel for Sekibo, hailed the court ruling, adding that the court proved that the council chairman and the others did no wrong by participating in the February elections.
Dokubo said, “It (court) gave a clear landmark judicial pronouncement, stating that the event of the 23rd of February, which happened in the court of the general election, as it applies to Roland Sekibo, Tobins Tobins and Damiete Dokubo, were an infringement on their fundamental human rights.
“The court granted all the prayers we sought and condemned in clear terms the involvement and actions of the military in the electoral process. The sum of N20 million was awarded in favour of all the applicants against the military.
“This means that our clients were not wrong in participating in the election, but it was undemocratic for the military to have arrested them and invaded their homes in any manner,” Dokubo said.
In his remarks, Samuel Edewede, counsel representing the Nigerian Army and the General Officer Commanding 6 Division, Port Harcourt and the Chief of Army Staff as first and second respondents, stated that the Nigerian Army would appeal the judgment.
“The judgment went against us and the court resolved that my clients carried out the act complained about by the applicants. We do not feel satisfied because we have said we are not election agents.
“In this era when people go about with military uniform and carry military guns and carry out such acts, but the court agreed with them that it was the military,” Edewede said.
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