The Court of Justice of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) ruled on Wednesday that Nigeria violated the provisions of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights (ACHPR) in its response to the protests that took place in October 2020, according to a statement published by the court. The protests were centered around public outcry against police brutality, specifically targeting the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) of the Nigerian police force.
In its ruling, the court found that Nigerian authorities violated the “right to life, security of person, freedom of expression, assembly and association, prohibition of torture, the duty of the state to investigate, and the right to effective remedy,” as stated in articles 1, 4, 6, 9, 10, and 11 of the ACHPR. However, allegations of breach of the right to life according to Article 4 were dismissed.
The claimants in the case, three Nigerian citizens, alleged that they were victims of human rights abuses during the EndSARS protests. Their claims included being shot by police, witnessing and recording police violence, and suffering from the use of tear gas. These events occurred as the protests, initially peaceful, were met with disproportionate force by security agents. The Nigerian government, on its part, refuted the allegations and maintained that the protests were unlawful and that the security agents adhered to strict rules of engagement.
As a result of the court’s decision, the Nigerian Federal Government has been ordered to compensate the claimants and to conduct investigations into the alleged human rights violations to prosecute the perpetrators. The court also mandated the government to report within six months on how it plans to comply with the judgment.
The excessive use of force during the October 2020 protests garnered international attention. The UN Secretary-General at the time had called for an end to police violence, and the governor of Lagos had subsequently announced a judicial investigation into the human rights violations that occurred during the protests.
For a detailed account of the ECOWAS court ruling, visit the full article here.