TheOdi massacre^[1][2] was an attack carried out on November 20, 1999, by theNigerian Armed Forces against the predominantlyIjaw town of Odi inBayelsa State.^[3] The attack came in the context of an ongoingconflict in theNiger Delta^[4] overindigenous rights tooil resources and environmental protection.^[5] It is estimated that over 900 civilians were killed in the attack.

People^[who?] generally say that themassacre was ordered by the regime of former presidentOlusegun Obasanjo and vice presidentAtiku Abubakar.^{[2][failed verification]} The military has often defended its action saying it was ambushed on its way to Odi. As a result, tensions rose before entrance into the village.

Before themassacre, twelve members of theNigerian police were murdered by a gang near Odi, seven on November 4 and the remainder in the following days.^[2][6] In retaliation, the military decided to invade thevillage. There are reports that the army wasambushed close to the village thus tensions soared; they broke through the ambush and exchanged fire with armed militias in the village who were believed to be using the civilian population as cover. This and the "ambush" provocation led to the attack on the civilian population and the town's buildings. Every building in the town except the bank, theAnglican church and the health centre was burned to the ground. All of this happened in presidentOlusegun Obasanjo's reign.^[6]

A wide range of estimates has been given for the numbers of civilians killed.Human Rights Watch concluded that "the soldiers must certainly have killed tens of unarmedcivilians and that figures of several hundred dead are entirely possible."^[6]Nnimmo Bassey, executive director of Environmental Rights Action, claims that nearly 2500 civilians were killed.^[7] The government initially put the death toll at 43, including eight soldiers.^[6]

In February 2013, the Federal High Court ordered the Federal Government to pay N37.6 billioncompensation to the people of Odi community inkolokuma/OpokumaLocal Government Area ofBayelsa state.^[8] Justice^[9] ordered that the compensation should be paid within three weeks.^[8]

In his judgment, Justice Lambi Akanbi of the Federal High Court, condemned the government for a "brazen violation of the fundamental human rights of the victims to movement, life and to own property and live peacefully in their ancestral home."^[10]

The case led to the payment of N15 billion from theGoodluck Jonathan-led administration as an out-of-court settlement. According to Prof. Kobina Imananagha (Chairman of the Odi Destruction Case Prosecution Committee (ODCPC)), “The London court issued threats that it was going to enforce the full judgement of the court (payment of N37.6billion) if by October 21, 2014, government fails to negotiate settlement and pay agreed compensation to Odi.^[11] This seeming that compelled the Federal Ministry of Justice and the leadership of the legal team, ODCPC and the king of Odi to the negotiation table on May 26, 2014 where N15billion (as the only and final payment) offer as compensation to Odi was made by the Federal Government."^[12]

The government later paid the sum of N15 billion which led to further conflict in the community and the subsequent kidnap of the committee Chairman Prof. Zibokere who was later released.^[13][14][15]

The Odi massacre inspired a song titled "Dem Mama" onTimaya'sTrue Story album.

It was also the muse for the poem "Potpourri of Perdition" bySuccess Akpojotor, published on Poets Reading The News.

The massacre further inspired the poem "Did Odi do the Deed?", written byIbiwari Ikiriko.

• List of massacres in Nigeria

• [1]
• Africa Action(original)
• Odi: We will never let you forget(original)
• A Blanket of Silence: Images of the Odi Genocide
• "Potpourri of Perdition": Poem by Success Akpojotor