Thirteen Tiv indegines who successfully sued the Federal Government for the massacre of Tiv people in Zaki Biam and environs few years ago have called on President Goodluck Jonathan not to pay the eight billion Naira judgment compensation to the Benue State government led by Suswam.
Addressing reporters in Abuja on Wednesday, counsel to the litigants, Mr Sebastine Hon, said the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister for Justice, Mohammed Adoke, informed him that the President had directed that the money be paid to Governor Gabriel Suswan.
Hon said that the president’s directive was wrong morally and in law because the Benue State government was not a party to the case that resulted in the award of 41.8 billion Naira to the plaintiffs and emphasised that the government of Benue State was also sued by the plaintiffs.
He added that the directive by the president was shocking and embarrassing.
“The Attorney General of the Federation, as the nation’s number one chief law officer, should have advised the President that a person who is not a party in a suit cannot be given the proceeds of a judgment.”
A Federal High Court, which sat in Enugu, had awarded to the litigants, 41.8 billion Naira, as compensation for the massacre of people in Zaki Biam and environs resulting from military invasion of the communities.
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