On Wednesday, the ECOWAS Court of Justice ordered Nigeria to pay N2 million each to several victims of the October 2020 #EndSARS protests in Lagos.
The protests, organized against the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) of the Nigerian Police Force due to alleged brutality, took place at the Lekki Toll Gate in Lagos.
In the judgment delivered by Judge Rapporteur Sengu Koroma, the court found that Nigeria violated the applicants’ rights to security of person, freedom from torture, cruel and inhuman treatment, and freedom of expression, assembly, and association. Consequently, the court ordered Nigeria to compensate each applicant with N2 million.
The court also emphasized Nigeria’s obligation under the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights (ACHPR) to investigate and prosecute those responsible for the violations and to report back within six months on the measures taken to implement the judgment.
The court held that Nigeria breached multiple articles of the ACHPR, including those guaranteeing the right to life, security of person, freedom of expression, assembly and association, prohibition of torture, and the duty to investigate human rights violations.
The applicants, Obianuju Catherine Udeh, Perpetual Kamsi, and Dabiraoluwa Adeyinka, reported violations that occurred during the peaceful protests between October 20 and 21, 2020. They alleged that soldiers opened fire on protesters, leading to deaths and injuries, and that they faced subsequent threats and harassment.
Nigeria, however, denied the claims, arguing that the protesters unlawfully assembled and that its agents followed strict rules of engagement without shooting or killing protesters. Nigeria also contended that the applicants did not provide credible evidence to support their claims.
The three-member panel, including Justices Dupe Atoki and Ricardo Claudio Gonçalves, concluded that the applicants were denied effective and immediate remedy for their rights violations, thus ordering Nigeria to make reparation
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