Three Rivers State-based firms that specialise in renting houseboats for operations in the waterways have dragged the Nigerian Army to the Federal High Court sitting in Port Harcourt over 26 months unpaid rents, and the seizure of their boats.
The plaintiffs, Peaches Integrated Services Limited, Godsam Industrial Services Limited and Etucom Integrated Services Limited filed the matter at the court, presided over by Justice D.S. Pam, reports The Nation.
The respondents were named as the Attorney-General of the Federation; the Chief of Defence Staff; and the Commander, Joint Task Force (JTF), Operation Delta Safe.
The plaintiffs said the unpaid rents accrued from the houseboats rented for various operations by the Nigerian Army.
They claimed that the army deployed the board in the Niger Delta waterways for various operations against illegal oil bunkering and other activities, but that the army seized them without paying their rents.
The plaintiffs, in their application through their lawyer, Mbata Chiburoma demanded the full payments for the rents.
Pam adjourned the matter to April 15, 2025 to hear all the applications.
“This matter is hereby adjourned to April for the hearing of the applications,” Pam said.
But workers of the affected firms staged a peaceful protest displaying placards with various inscriptions to decry their plight over the unpaid rent.
They lamented that they were owed salary arrears following the inability of their to pay them.
They appealed to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to intervene in the matter and compel the army to release the money to their companies.
Some of the placards read:”Mr President rescue us,” “Our Boats are dilapidated due to lack of maintenance”, “We believe in the renewed hope of Mr President, save our soul,” “National Assembly intervene now, Houseboat contractors are not slaves.”
