By Jimitota Onoyume

PORT HARCOURT—The leader of the group in Odi, Bayelsa State, that dragged the Federal Government to court over the 1999 military invasion of the community, Professor Kobina Imanana, has dismissed as untrue, media reports that the government paid over N15 billion as compensation to the community for the destruction suffered by the people.

Professor Imanana, yesterday in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, said though the court ruled that the Federal Government should pay N37.6 billion as compensation to the community, the government only offered N15 billion as all it could pay.

According to Professor Imanana, the matter dragged on even as far as to London before the Federal Government finally agreed to negotiate with the legal team engaged by his committee, Odi Destruction Case Prosecution Committee, through the office of the Attorney General on what it could pay.

He said when the government offered N15 billion, they had to accept it for life to move on.

“We signed an agreement in the office of the Attorney General called the Deed of Settlement, accepting the N15 billion.”