Agency report
Binta Nyako, a judge at the federal high court in Abuja, has advised Lucky Okodeh, a former caretaker chair of southern Ijaw LGA in Bayelsa state, to explore an out-of-court settlement with the Nigerian army.
Okodeh had sued the army for publishing his photograph among those declared wanted over the killing of 17 soldiers in Delta state.
Okodeh, who sued the chief of defence staff (CDS) and chief of army staff (COAS) as first and second respondents, respectively, asked the court to award N2 billion as damages against the respondents for the alleged violation of his rights to personal liberty and dignity.
At the court session on Thursday, Asmau Yunusa, counsel to the applicant, said she received the 1st respondent’s (CDS) counter affidavit on Wednesday and would need more time to file her response.
Okodeh, who sued the chief of defence staff (CDS) and chief of army staff (COAS) as first and second respondents, respectively, asked the court to award N2 billion as damages against the respondents for the alleged violation of his rights to personal liberty and dignity.
At the court session on Thursday, Asmau Yunusa, counsel to the applicant, said she received the 1st respondent’s (CDS) counter affidavit on Wednesday and would need more time to file her response
She noted that the second respondent (COAS) was not represented in court.
Addressing the lawyers, the judge advised the parties involved to resolve the issue amicably.
“It is not what we should waste the taxpayers’ money on,” the judge said.