Rédaction Africa Links 24 with Ibrahim Ramalan
Published on 2024-03-04 16:46:13
The ECOWAS Court of Justice in Abuja recently ruled on a petition brought by Media Rights Agenda (MRA), an NGO, demanding N10 million in reparations for each of the families of 11 deceased journalists. The suit, filed in 2021, also sought to compel the Nigerian government to conduct a proper investigation into the unresolved killings of these journalists between 1998 and 2021.
The three-member panel of the Court, led by Justice Gberi-be Ouattara and delivered by Justice Dupe Atoki, dismissed the petition on the grounds that the 11 journalists could not be considered “public” figures in terms of proving the victims’ status. The Court also stated that while the murders were a gross violation of the journalists’ rights, it did not have jurisdiction to award reparations for the victims.
During the hearing, MRA’s counsel argued that the government had a duty to prevent loss of life and that the case was based on the African Charter, which supersedes domestic laws. The counsel contended that the victims had been properly identified and should have been party to the suit, contrary to the government’s arguments.
MRA urged the Court to direct the Federal Government to pay reparations to the families, citing the government’s obligations under various domestic and international instruments. The group accused the government of failing to investigate, prosecute, and punish the killers of the journalists, who were exercising their freedom of expression and press rights.
In response, the Federal Government’s counsel challenged the jurisdiction of the Court, arguing that MRA lacked the standing to file the suit as it was not a victim of the alleged human rights violations. The counsel highlighted that no victim had been properly identified and made a party to the suit, and MRA had not suffered any direct or indirect wrong or injury.
The journalists for whom reparations were sought included Tunde Oladepo, Okezie Amauben, Fidelis Ikwuebe, Sam Nimfa-Jan, Samson Boyi, Bayo Ohu, Nathan Dabak, Sunday Gyang Bwede, Zakariya Isa, Enenche Akogwu, and Precious Owolabi. These journalists were killed in various incidents between 1998 and 2019.
The Court, while acknowledging the gravity of the journalists’ murders, did not award any costs against the petitioners and ruled that the parties should bear the cost of litigation. Ultimately, the Court’s decision highlighted the limitations of its jurisdiction in awarding reparations for the victims of human rights violations.
Read the original article on DailyNigerian.com
