The Bayelsa State High Court has awarded ₦20 billion in general damages against the Nigerian government over the killings, torture and destruction of property that followed the February 2005 military invasion of Odioma Kingdom in Brass Local Government Area.
Delivering judgment on Monday, September 28, 2026, the court dismissed a preliminary objection filed by the respondents, who included the President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, the Ministry of Defence and the Chief of Defence Staff. They had challenged its jurisdiction. The court held that it was empowered to hear the case under the Fundamental Rights (Enforcement Procedure) Rules.
In a statement dated September 29, Barr. J.J. Calmday, Legal Adviser to Odioama in the Diaspora and a member of the community’s legal team, called the ruling a historic victory for the rule of law and human dignity. He said it affirmed that “no state actor, including the Federal Government or the military, is above the constitution.” According to the statement, the damages cover three issues: the unlawful killing of civilians during the operation, the degrading treatment of the King and Chiefs of Odioma, and the widespread looting and destruction of residents’ property. “The judiciary has wiped away the tears our People,” the statement said, adding that no sum could restore lives lost or fully heal the psychological scars.
The community urged the Federal Government to accept the judgment in good faith, offer a public apology and comply immediately with the court’s monetary orders “as a step toward genuine national healing.” It also commended the then Council of Chiefs, led by Chief Sunday Igbogisa-Indawari, as well as Hon. (Barr) Philemon K. Dickson and Mr. Forcebray Iniegha Eketekpe, for their roles in pursuing justice.
The Joint Task Force (JTF) raided Odioma on February 19, 2005, following a February 3 ambush on the Nembe waterways in which gunmen linked to the Esenasawo cult killed 12 people, including four local government councillors. The councillors were on a peace mission over a land dispute between the Odioma and Obioku communities. The Bayelsa State Government, then under Governor Diepreye Alamieyeseigha, had invited federal forces to clear the waterways of oil bunkerers and vandals.
The military said its troops were ambushed by armed youths before entering the town. Over 30 people were reportedly killed, including the community’s 85-year-old traditional ruler, and at least 200 were injured. Much of the town was razed. The military blamed the fires on stored petroleum products and explosives igniting during the shootout, while community representatives accused troops of deliberately burning the town. The incident drew comparisons with the 1999 Odi massacre. In 2008, the military high command said the Obasanjo presidency had not authorised the destruction and that the JTF acted at the state governor’s invitation.
