Abuja, Nigeria – The Community Court of Justice of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) on Wednesday ruled that the federal government of Nigeria violated the human rights of youths that participated in the October 2020, EndSARS protests.
In a unanimous decision, a three-man panel of Justices held that there was merit in a suit filed by three protest participants: Obianuju Catherine Udeh, Perpetual Kamsi, and Dabiraoluwa Adeyinka. The applicants, alleged that human rights violations occurred during the peaceful protests at the Lekki Toll Gate in Lagos State on October 20 and 21, 2020.
The regional court sitting in Abuja, held that the Nigerian government through its security operatives breached Articles 1, 4, 6, 9, 10, and 11 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights (ACPHR), specifically on the right to life, security of person, freedom of expression, assembly and association, prohibition of torture, the duty of the state to investigate, and the right to effective remedy.
In its lead judgement that was delivered by the Judge Rapporteur, Justice Koroma Mohamed Sengu, the ECOWAS’ court dismissed the Applicants’ allegation that their right to life as guaranteed under Article 4 of the ACPHR, was violated.
He, however, ordered the Federal Government of Nigeria to pay each applicant two million naira as compensation for violations of their security of person, prohibition of torture and cruel, inhuman, and degrading treatment, rights to freedom of expression, assembly, and association, duty to investigate human rights violations, and right to effective remedy.
The court also ordered the government to adhere to its obligations under the ACPHR, by investigating and prosecuting its security agents responsible for the violations. It said the Nigerian government within the next six months, report to it, measures taken to implement the judgment.
Triggered by the alleged killing of Daniel Chibuike, the EndSARS protests was aimed to address police harassment and brutality in Nigeria.
