Assault: ECOWAS court orders FG to pay N10m damages to journalist

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By Ikechukwu Nnochiri

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ABUJA — The Court of Justice of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has ordered the Federal Government to pay N10 million in general damages over the physical assault, unlawful arrest, and seizure of property belonging to a journalist, Mr. Jide Oyekunle.

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The regional court found FG liable for violating the applicant’s rights to freedom of expression, personal liberty, dignity, and to own property, protected under the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights.

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In the landmark decision, the court held that the actions of the Nigerian Police Force (NPF) in detaining the journalist and seizing his mobile phone were excessive, unjustified, and in violation of international law.

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According to the court, the actions of the security operatives suppressed Oyekunle’s live coverage, thereby breaching his right to freedom of expression under Article 9 of the African Charter.

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It further ruled that his assault and detention violated his rights to personal liberty, human dignity, and freedom from degrading treatment under Articles 6 and 5, while the temporary seizure of his phone violated his right to property under Article 14.

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It dismissed as lacking in merit an objection the FG filed to challenge the competence of the suit.

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The ECOWAS Court maintained that Nigeria’s justification for manhandling the journalist failed the test of necessity under international law, making the conduct of the security forces excessive and unlawful.

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The judgment followed a suit marked ECW/CCJ/APP/29/25, which Avocats Sans Frontières France (Lawyers Without Borders France) filed on behalf of the assaulted journalist.

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The group filed the suit on June 22, 2026, under its eRIGHTS project supported by the European Union, which focuses on defending human rights in the digital space.

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Oyekunle, who is a staff member of the Daily Independent Newspaper and currently the secretary of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Federal Capital Territory chapter, was physically assaulted and unlawfully detained while covering a protest.

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His camera was damaged, and his mobile phone was seized by armed police officers on the orders of a former Commissioner of Police in the FCT, Benneth Igweh.

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Oyekunle had gone to the Eagle Square in Abuja on August 1, 2024, to cover the #EndBadGovernanceInNigeria protests when he was badly manhandled by a police officer.

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Meanwhile, reacting to the court judgment, the country director of Avocats Sans Frontières France, Ms. Angela Uwandu Uzoma-Iwuchukwu, described it as a victory for the free press.

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“This judgment sends a clear message that a journalist’s digital tools are extensions of the modern press and newsroom, and their arbitrary confiscation by security forces is a direct assault on the public’s right to know.

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“The Court’s pronouncement adds to growing jurisprudence from the regional court protecting journalists and human rights defenders who document protests and public-interest events.

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“ASF France will continue to monitor compliance with the judgment and provide legal aid to journalists facing similar violations.

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“For Avocats Sans Frontières France and the eRIGHTS project partners, this ruling fortifies legal protections for journalism in the digital age.

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“It shields reporters from tech-based censorship and intimidation, puts security agencies on notice that targeting media during protests will attract accountability, and reaffirms the ECOWAS Court as a vital shield for civic space in the region,” she stated.

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