ECOWAS Court Hits FG With N2 Million Fine Over #EndSARS Rights Violation

The Nigerian Government has been found guilty of human rights abuses in its handling of the #EndSARS protest in October 2020.

Eko Hot Blog reports that the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Community Court of Justice ruled that the Nigerian government’s actions, particularly its use of force at the Lekki Toll Gate in Lagos, breached several international human rights criteria.

These violations include articles 1, 5, 6, 9, 10, and 11 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights

According to Cable News, the court ordered the Nigerian government to pay N2 million in compensation to each victim named in the suit.

#EndSARS was a social movement and series of large protests in Nigeria against police brutality, specifically against the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS), known for abusing citizens.

The movement began with a Twitter (Now X) campaign in 2017 but gained major momentum in October 2020 after more abuses by SARS were revealed.

This led to mass protests across Nigeria that gained support from prominent personalities worldwide.

The protests led mostly by young Nigerians, also called for better governance and accountability in the country amidst severe hardships.

However, the peaceful protests turned violent, including attacks on both protesters and police stations.

On October 20th 2020, Soldiers of the Nigerian Army reportedly open fire on peaceful, unarmed protesters resulting in a disputed number of deaths.

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