ECOWAS Court orders Nigeria to pay #ENDSARS victims N2m each

The Economic Community of West Africa States (ECOWAS) Court of Justice on Wednesday ordered Nigeria to pay N2 million each to some victims of the October 2020 #ENDSARS protests in Lagos.

Several youths were killed and several others were injured by security agents during the nationwide rallies to protest the brutality of the defunct Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) operatives.

In his ruling, Justice Sengu Koroma, the Judge Rapporteur, held that Nigeria must pay each applicant N2 million each as compensation for violation of their “rights to security of person.”

The applicants, Obianuju Catherine Udeh, Perpetual Kamsi, and Dabiraoluwa Adeyinka, had in their application alleged that the violations occurred during the peaceful protests at the Lekki Toll Gate in Lagos State between October 20 and October 21, 2020.

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The Court also ordered Nigeria to pay the victims the amount as compensation for “violation of their rights to the prohibition of torture and cruel, inhuman, degrading treatment, rights to freedom of expression.”

It ordered compensation for violation of the victims’ rights to assembly, and association, failure of duty to investigate human rights violations, and right to effective remedy.

The Court equally ordered Nigeria to adhere to its obligations under the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights (ACHPR), investigate and prosecute its agents who were responsible for the violations.

Justice Koroma further held that Nigeria breached Articles 1, 4, 6, 9, 10, and 11 of the ACHPR.

The law specifies the right to life, security of person, freedom of expression, assembly and association, prohibition of torture, duty of the state to investigate, and the right to effective remedy.

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