ENDSARS:ECOWAS Court finds FG guilty of human rigts abuse, orders compensation

The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Community Court of Justice has ruled that the Nigerian government committed human rights abuses during its response to the #EndSARS protest in October 2020.

In its ruling on Wednesday, the court held that the government’s actions, particularly the excessive use of force at the Lekki Toll Gate in Lagos, violated several international human rights standards.

The court specified that the Nigerian government breached articles 1, 5, 6, 9, 10, and 11 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights.

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As a result, the court ordered the Nigerian government to pay N2 million in compensation to each victim named in the lawsuit.

The Buhari-led government on October 20, 2020, deployed the military to Lekki Toll Gate in Lagos State to protesters who had camped at the venue for days.

Several human rights organisations, including Amnesty International, said dozens of protesters were killed in the process in what they dubbed as “Lekki Massacre.” The federal government and the military have consistently denied allegations.

Taofeek Oyedokun

Taofeek Oyedokun is a correspondent at BusinessDay with years of experience reporting on political economy, public policy, migration, environment/climate change, and social justice. A graduate of Political Science from the University of Lagos, he has also earned multiple professional certificates in journalism and media-related training. Known for his clear, data-driven reporting, Oyedokun covers a wide range of national and international socioeconomic issues, bringing depth, balance, and public-interest focus to his work.