Extra-judicial killings in Abuja: ECOWAS court fines Nigeria $3.3bn
Thu Jun 09, 2016 07:25:am Africa
2.4K By Buchi Obichie
Nigeria has been slapped with a $3.3bn fine by The Economic Community of West African States, ECOWAS, court, over the extra-judicial killing of eight citizens in the Apo District of Abuja, Federal Capital Territory.
A combined team of soldiers and operatives of the Department of State Service, DSS, had killed 8 Nigerians during a raid on an uncompleted building in the Apo Area of Abuja; and the court has ordered the country to pay compensatory damages of $200,000 to each of the family of the deceased killed, and $150,000 to each of the injured.
The eight Nigerians killed when the security personnel opened fire on them were later found to be commercial motorcycle (Okada) riders who were unarmed, and taking refuge in the uncompleted building due to the extremely high cost of house rent in Abuja.
After the shooting, the DSS had claimed that security agents were searching for a weapons cache in a building under construction.
They further claimed they came under fire from Boko Haram insurgents; but the US Embassy refuted their claims when it indicated in a security message, that those caught up in the gun fire were simply squatters.
Corroborating the message from the US Embassy, several witnesses who were injured, later told AFP that they were unarmed.
The deceased are Nura Abdullahi, Ashiru Musa, Abdullahi Manmman, Buhari Ibrahim, Suleiman Ibrahim, Ahmadu Musa, Nasir Adamu and Musa Yobe; while the 11 injured include Muttaka Abubakar, Sani Abdulrahman, Nuhu Ibrahim, Ibrahim Mohammed, Ibrahim Aliyu, Yahaya Bello, Abubakar Auwal, Yusuf Abubakar, Ibrahim Bala, Murtala Salihu and Sanni Usman.
The Incorporated Trustees of Fiscal and Civil Right Enlightment Foundation, an NGO, had on behalf of the deceased, dragged Nigeria, the Army and Department of State Service, before the ECOWAS court, to challenge the legality of the killing of the eight commercial motorcyclists and the injuring of others by the security agents.
Delivering the court's judgment, Presiding Justice, Friday Chijioke Nwoke, declared that Nigeria was found liable of brutal killing of defenseless citizens, and this action goes contrary to the provisions of local and international law on the fundamental rights of citizens to life.
The killing was condemned as barbaric, illegal and unconstitutional and a breach of the fundamental rights of the deceased to life, by the panel of Judges led by Justice Nwoke.
The court's decisions are binding on all ECOWAS member states; final and not subject to appeal.
A combined team of soldiers and operatives of the Department of State Service, DSS, had killed 8 Nigerians during a raid on an uncompleted building in the Apo Area of Abuja; and the court has ordered the country to pay compensatory damages of $200,000 to each of the family of the deceased killed, and $150,000 to each of the injured.
The eight Nigerians killed when the security personnel opened fire on them were later found to be commercial motorcycle (Okada) riders who were unarmed, and taking refuge in the uncompleted building due to the extremely high cost of house rent in Abuja.
After the shooting, the DSS had claimed that security agents were searching for a weapons cache in a building under construction.
They further claimed they came under fire from Boko Haram insurgents; but the US Embassy refuted their claims when it indicated in a security message, that those caught up in the gun fire were simply squatters.
Corroborating the message from the US Embassy, several witnesses who were injured, later told AFP that they were unarmed.
The deceased are Nura Abdullahi, Ashiru Musa, Abdullahi Manmman, Buhari Ibrahim, Suleiman Ibrahim, Ahmadu Musa, Nasir Adamu and Musa Yobe; while the 11 injured include Muttaka Abubakar, Sani Abdulrahman, Nuhu Ibrahim, Ibrahim Mohammed, Ibrahim Aliyu, Yahaya Bello, Abubakar Auwal, Yusuf Abubakar, Ibrahim Bala, Murtala Salihu and Sanni Usman.
The Incorporated Trustees of Fiscal and Civil Right Enlightment Foundation, an NGO, had on behalf of the deceased, dragged Nigeria, the Army and Department of State Service, before the ECOWAS court, to challenge the legality of the killing of the eight commercial motorcyclists and the injuring of others by the security agents.
Delivering the court's judgment, Presiding Justice, Friday Chijioke Nwoke, declared that Nigeria was found liable of brutal killing of defenseless citizens, and this action goes contrary to the provisions of local and international law on the fundamental rights of citizens to life.
The killing was condemned as barbaric, illegal and unconstitutional and a breach of the fundamental rights of the deceased to life, by the panel of Judges led by Justice Nwoke.
The court's decisions are binding on all ECOWAS member states; final and not subject to appeal.
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