The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Community Court of Justice has ruled that the Nigerian government violated the rights of #EndSARS protesters at the Lekki tollgate in October 2020.
This landmark verdict, delivered on Wednesday, condemned the government for its "disproportionate use of force" during the protest on October 20, 2020, in Lagos.
The court found that live rounds were fired into the crowd of unarmed protesters and ordered the Nigerian government to compensate each victim named in the suit with N10 million.
The case, brought before the ECOWAS Court by a coalition of human rights activists and organizations, alleged severe violations of fundamental human rights by Nigerian security forces. Amnesty International also submitted an Amicus Brief, which the court accepted. After thoroughly examining evidence and testimonies, the court concluded that the Nigerian government’s actions breached several international human rights standards, including Articles 1, 5, 6, 9, 10, and 11 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights.
The court highlighted credible evidence of the disproportionate use of force and violations of the right to liberty, security, assembly, free speech, and dignity. It declared that the use of force was unnecessary and violated Nigeria’s obligations under the African Charter.
Additionally, the court determined that the applicants suffered torture at the hands of the Nigerian government. It noted that the use of live rounds at the Lekki tollgate created a situation of fear, and the Nigerian government did not provide evidence to refute these allegations. The court also held that the government failed to respect the applicants' rights to freedom of expression, assembly, and association, violating Articles 9, 10, and 11 of the African Charter.
The government's actions were deemed inconsistent with Nigeria’s obligations under the ECOWAS Revised Treaty and the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights. The court also criticized the government's investigative mechanism for the Lekki tollgate incident, calling it lacking in independence and credibility.
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