ECOWAS Court Orders Nigerian Government To Pay Journalist Jide Oyekunle N10million Over Assault, Detention
The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Community Court of Justice has ordered the Federal Government of Nigeria to pay N10 million in damages to a journalist, Jide Oyekunle, after finding that security operatives violated his fundamental rights while he was covering the nationwide #EndBadGovernance protest in Abuja.
The judgement, delivered on June 22, 2026, followed a suit filed by Avocats Sans Frontières France (ASF France), also known as Lawyers Without Borders France, under its European Union-supported eRIGHTS project.
According to ASF France, in a statement made available to Naija News House on Wednesday, the regional court held Nigeria liable for violating Oyekunle’s rights to freedom of expression, personal liberty, dignity and property after he was assaulted, unlawfully detained and had his mobile phone confiscated while carrying out his professional duties.
Oyekunle, a former Chairman of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), FCT Correspondents’ Chapel, was reportedly covering the August 1, 2024 #EndBadGovernance protest at Eagle Square in Abuja when police officers attacked and detained him.
The ECOWAS Court, in Suit No. ECW/CCJ/APP/29/25, ruled that the actions of security operatives interfered with the journalist’s live coverage of the protest and amounted to a breach of his right to freedom of expression as guaranteed under Article 9 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights.
The court further held that the assault and detention violated Articles 5 and 6 of the African Charter, which protect the rights to dignity, freedom from degrading treatment and personal liberty.
It also found that the temporary seizure of Oyekunle’s mobile phone constituted a violation of his right to property under Article 14 of the Charter.
According to the judgement, Nigeria failed to justify the actions of its security personnel under internationally recognised standards of necessity and proportionality, making the conduct excessive and unlawful.
Reacting to the judgement, the Country Director of ASF France in Nigeria, Angela Uwandu Uzoma-Iwuchukwu, described the ruling as a significant victory for press freedom and digital rights.
“This judgement 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,” she said.
ASF France said the ruling strengthens growing regional jurisprudence aimed at protecting journalists, media practitioners and human rights defenders documenting protests and matters of public interest across West Africa.
The organisation added that it would continue to monitor Nigeria’s compliance with the court’s decision and provide legal assistance to journalists facing similar rights violations.
“For Avocats Sans Frontières France and the eRIGHTS project partners, this ruling fortifies legal protections for journalism in the digital age. 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,” the organisation said.
The case stems from the nationwide #EndBadGovernance protests that erupted across Nigeria in August 2024 over economic hardship, inflation, rising food prices and government policies. Several journalists and protesters alleged harassment, arrests and intimidation by security agencies during the demonstrations.
Human rights organisations had repeatedly raised concerns over attacks on journalists covering protests and public demonstrations, warning that such actions posed a threat to press freedom and democratic accountability.
The eRIGHTS project, under which the suit was filed, is funded by the European Union and implemented by ASF France in partnership with the Centre for Information Technology and Development (CITAD). The initiative focuses on protecting digital rights in Nigeria through advocacy, capacity building and strategic litigation.
