THE Nigerian government abused the rights of #EndSARS protesters at the Lekki tollgate in October 2020, the Economic Community of West African States Community (ECOWAS) Court of Justice has ruled.
In a landmark verdict delivered on Wednesday by Justice Koroma Mohamed Sengu, the Judge Rapporteur, the court flayed the government’s particularly “disproportionate use of force” in response to the #EndSARS protest at the Lekki Tollgate in Lagos on 20 October 2020.
It mandated the Nigerian government to pay a total of Two Million Naira (N2,000,000.00) in compensation to each victim named in the suit.
Brought before the ECOWAS Court by a coalition of human rights activists and organisations, the case alleged severe violations of fundamental human rights by Nigerian security forces.
Among many other key findings, the court found credible evidence of disproportionate use of force and violations of the right to liberty and security, assembly, free speech, and dignity. It stated that the use of force was not necessary and contravened the Respondent State’s obligations under the African Charter.
The court also agreed that the applicants had suffered torture at the hands of the Nigerian government. It added that the situation at the Lekki Tollgate, where live rounds were shot into the crowd of unarmed protesters, created a situation of fear, and the Nigerian government did not present evidence refuting those allegations.
Credit: Political Affairs Int
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