ECOWAS court orders FG to pay Journalist N10m for assault

By Stanley Onyekwere

The ECOWAS Community Court of Justice has ordered the Federal Republic of Nigeria to pay N10 million in general damages to journalist, Jide Oyekunle for physical assault, unlawful arrest, and the illegal seizure of his working tools.

The landmark ruling, delivered on June 22, 2026, in Suit No. ECW/CCJ/APP/29/25, was secured by human rights organization Avocats Sans Frontières France (Lawyers Without Borders France) under its EU-supported eRIGHTS project.

Mr. Oyekunle, an Independent Newspaper journalist and former Chairman of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) FCT Correspondents’ Chapel, was targeted by security forces on August 1, 2024.

While covering the nationwide #EndBadGovernanceInNigeria protests at Eagle Square in Abuja, he was physically assaulted and detained by armed police officers acting on the orders of the then FCT Commissioner of Police, Benneth Igweh.

During the incident, his camera was damaged and his mobile phone was confiscated.

The ECOWAS Court upheld the arguments presented by the applicant’s counsel, Collins I. Maidoh-Anene, Esq., ruling that the actions of the Nigerian security forces were excessive, unjustified, and failed the test of necessity under international law.

The regional court found Nigeria liable for violating several fundamental protections under the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights:
Freedom of Expression (Article 9) – by seizing his phone, the state directly suppressed his live digital coverage of a public interest event.

On personal liberty and human dignity (Articles 5 & 6), the court said the physical assault and subsequent detention violated his right to freedom from degrading treatment.

Similarly, on right to Property (Article 14)- the arbitrary, temporary seizure of his mobile phone was deemed unlawful.

Reacting to the ruling, Angela Uwandu Uzoma-Iwuchukwu, Country Director of Avocats Sans Frontières France, emphasized that the judgment establishes a vital legal precedent for media protection in the modern era.

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

She added that the ruling shields reporters from tech-based censorship and serves as a warning that targeting media practitioners during public protests will attract strict accountability.

Expressing his appreciation for the support from the NUJ FCT Council, ASF France, and his colleagues, Mr. Oyekunle described the decision as a broader victory for civic space and democratic governance in Nigeria.

“The decision of the ECOWAS Court is not only about me; it is about every journalist, media worker, and Nigerian citizen who believes in the right to freedom of expression, access to information, and peaceful civic participation.

“If democracy is all about good governance, accountability, and transparency, then press freedom should not be curtailed, denied, or restricted,” Oyekunle said.