The Federal High Court sitting at Life Camp in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) under Justice Rosemary Kanyip has delivered a judgement in favour of the Kpaduma community against the FCT Administration (FCTA).
It asked the FCTA to pay the natives the sum of N20million as compensation for infringement on their fundamental rights to own property.
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Justice Kanyip while delivering the judgement said that it was illegal for the FCTA to demolish the houses of the natives, especially when there was an order of court restraining them from doing so.
The natives had in early 2022, filed a case before the court against the FCTA for the enforcement of their fundamental rights that were violated by the FCT administration and other parties, and the court in the judegment agreed that their fundamental rights were violated.
The counsel to the Kpaduma community, Barr. Sylvester Ogbelu, who spoke on the judgement, said it was a demonstration that the court is the last hope of the common man.
“This judgement has succeeded in rekindling the hope and faith of the natives of Kpaduma in the judicial process. They now know that the court is there for the common man. That is why we are happy that the court has not let the common man down,” he said.
The secretary of Kpaduma community, Simon Baba-Yerima, described the judgement as God’s divine intervention, that from the beginning of the case, they saw the hands of God upon the matter.
“We are very happy and the entire natives of Abuja would be celebrating this victory in court. We have never lost any case before in our community, that is why if you go to the deep history of Kpaduma you will realise that it has been a beacon where people come for rescue.
“While we sued the FCT minister and other parties involved, I had a very strong confidence in the judiciary and the justice that delivered the judgement because she is a mother and has the conscience of a true mother.
“I pray for the FCT administration and other parties involved to have the understanding and fear of God and do the needful because nobody should hide under any platform to inflict pain and suffering on the common man. They should adhere to the rule of law,” he said.
Also, the spokesperson of the Kpaduma community, Hon Bala Iyah, advised the FCTA to go back to the drawing board, adding that if they want to do anything, they should carry FCT stakeholders along, which consist of the traditional institution and political leaders.
“If they do that, there will not be any problem. Because we have been relegated, cheated, deprived, and marginalised for a long time from our rights as indigenous people of Abuja. This victory is not for Kpaduma indigenes alone, the victory is for all original inhabitants of Abuja,” he said.