By George Ozalla
The ECOWAS Community Court of Justice has ordered the Federal Government of Nigeria to pay ₦10 million in damages to journalist Jide Oyekunle after finding the country liable for violating his fundamental rights while he was covering the nationwide End Bad Governance protests in Abuja.
The judgment, delivered on June 22, 2026, in Suit No. ECW/CCJ/APP/29/25, followed a legal action instituted on behalf of Oyekunle by Avocats Sans Frontières France (ASF France), also known as Lawyers Without Borders France, under its European Union-supported eRIGHTS project.
The regional court held that the actions of Nigerian security operatives against the journalist amounted to a breach of several rights guaranteed under the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights, including freedom of expression, personal liberty, human dignity and the right to property.
The case stemmed from events that occurred on August 1, 2024, at Eagle Square in Abuja, where Oyekunle, a former Chairman of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) FCT Correspondents’ Chapel, was reportedly assaulted, detained and deprived of his mobile phone while carrying out live coverage of the protests.
In its ruling, the Court found that the interference with the journalist’s work unlawfully disrupted his reporting activities and amounted to a violation of his right to freedom of expression as protected under Article 9 of the African Charter. The Court further held that the assault and detention constituted violations of his rights to personal liberty and human dignity under Articles 6 and 5 of the Charter.
The Court also ruled that the temporary confiscation of Oyekunle’s mobile phone violated his right to property under Article 14, stressing that the measures adopted by security personnel were excessive and failed to satisfy the requirement of necessity under international human rights law.
The judgment is being viewed as a significant victory for press freedom and the protection of journalists across Nigeria and the wider West African region, particularly at a time when concerns continue to grow over attacks on media practitioners covering protests and other matters of public interest.
Reacting to the ruling, Angela Uwandu Uzoma-Iwuchukwu, Country Director of Avocats Sans Frontières France in Nigeria, described the decision as an important affirmation of the role of journalists and the protection of digital reporting tools.
She stated that the judgment sends a strong message that a journalist’s digital devices are extensions of the modern newsroom and that their arbitrary seizure by security agencies amounts to an attack on both press freedom and the public’s right to access information.
Uzoma-Iwuchukwu further stated that the ruling strengthens emerging regional jurisprudence aimed at protecting journalists and human rights defenders who document protests and public events. She added that ASF France would continue to monitor compliance with the judgment while providing legal support to journalists facing similar violations.
According to the organisation, the decision reinforces legal safeguards for journalism in the digital era, strengthens accountability for security agencies, and serves as a warning against attempts to suppress media coverage through intimidation or censorship.
ASF France noted that the judgment also reaffirms the role of the ECOWAS Court as a critical institution for the protection of civic space, media freedom and human rights within the sub-region.
The eRIGHTS project, through which the case was supported, is funded by the European Union and focuses on advancing and protecting digital rights in Nigeria through strategic litigation, advocacy and capacity-building initiatives. The project is implemented by ASF France in partnership with the Centre for Information Technology and Development (CITAD).
