A Federal High Court sitting in Abakaliki, Ebonyi State has slammed a N100m damages on the embattled National Vice Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Southeast Zone,  Ali Odefa.

It gave the ruling in a consolidated Fundamental Rights suit with suit number:FHC/ AI/CS/197/2024 between Herbert Onyedikachi Ovuta & 4 ORS. v. Chief Ali Odefa and 2 others and another, ,FHC/AI/CS/ 199/ 2024 between Sabastine Idenyi &13 others v. Chief Ali & 2 others, the Presiding Judge,.

Listed among the respondents are Herbert Onyedikachi, Anoke, Egbe, Njoku Nwagu, Moses Idika, Ogbonnaya Idika, Obinna Chukwu, Chief John Igboke,  Mrs. Ijeoma Nome,  Okorie C. Okorie and nine others.

Odefa, the Commissioner of Police Ebonyi State and the Inspector General of Police were listed as respondents.

Odefa was first suspended from the party by Ward executives of his Oguduokwor Ward in Onicha LGA on September 11, 2024.

The Abakaliki Division of the Federal High Court also upheld the initial suspension of Odefa..

Odefa wrote a petition to the police accusing the ward executives of forging party documents and impersonation of ward executives of the party.

Four members of the party were subsequently arrested, arraigned and remanded in October, 2024 over the matter.

But, consequent upon his earlier suspension,  the Oguduokwor Ward Disciplinary Committee  after hearing the allegations leveled against Odefa recommended the expulsion of the former zonal Chairman of the party.

On December 12th 2024, the Executives of PDP Oguduokwor Ward announced the summary expulsion of Odefa.

Stakeholders of the PDP in Ebonyi also wrote to to the National Working Committee announcing the nomination of the Zonal Youth Leader of the party, Chidiebere Egwu to replace Mr. Ali Odefa as Zonal Vice Chairman of the party.

In the suit, the applicants, some of whom include those remanded last year, prayed the court for enforcement of their fundamental rights pursuant to Order two of the Fundamental Rights (Enforcement Procedure) Rules 2009 and Sections 35 and 41 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended) respectively

Odefa as earlier stated, had accused them of forging documents purporting his suspension as the National Vice Chairman of PDP, South East

Lead counsel to the applicants, Mudiaga Ehrenede had in the suit filed in October last year sought seven reliefs from the Court among which was; a declaration that the threats, invitation, harassment and intimidation of the ward executives for suspending the former National Vice-Chairman (South East) were unconstitutional and a violation of their fundamental human rights.

The applicants had also prayed the Court to grant an order of perpetual injunction restraining the defendants from threatening, arresting, inviting or intimidating the Respondent/applicants for their roles in the suspension of the former National Vice-Chairman (South East) of the PDP for anti-party activities.

Ruling on the suit, the presiding Judge, Justice Hilary I. O. Oshomah held that  Odefa had “maliciously”  used the police against the defendants by making criminal accusations against the applicants in a civil political matter.

The Court frowned at Mr Odefa’s used of the police to maliciously harass and intimidate the applicants in an attempt to prevent them from prosecuting the civil suit pertaining to his suspension which rendered the matter subjudice at the time of the police report.

The court held that Odefa who had alleged in his statement to the police that the defendants forged documents to suspend him as a member of the PDP in Oguduokwor Ward failed to show proof of any form of forgery in the court to support his claims.

The court issued an order restraining  Odefa and the police from harassing, arresting or in any form intimidating the defendants on the issue of his suspension from the PDP, Oguduokwor Ward.

It  awarded damages in the sum of N5, 000, 000 (five million naira) to each of the 20 defendants totaling N100, 000,000 (one hundred million).

The court also awarded another N2m as cost for harassing and attempting to arrest them using the instrumenalities of the Nigerian Police Force.

The court further ordered that the cost must be paid within seven (7) days of the judgement, failure to pay, according to the court will attract 10% daily interest.

Justice Oshomah further gave an order restraining the police and Odefa from harassing,  arresting , inviting any of the Applicants on account of facts pertaining to his suspension.

“That N100m is hereby awarded as general damages against Ali Odefa and N2m as cost in favour of the Applicants in these consolidated suits”, the judge ruled.

At the ruling, the OC Legal of the Nigeria Police,  Ebonyi State Command, Benson Emenike was in the court to represent the Commissioner of Police, while Odefa’s counsel was absent .