The ECOWAS Community Court of Justice has ordered the Federal Government of Nigeria to pay ₦10 million in damages to an Abuja-based journalist, Jide Oyekunle, sending excitement to the media.
The landmark ruling in Suit No. ECW/CCJ/APP/29/25 was secured by Avocats Sans Frontières France (Lawyers Without Borders France) on June 22, 2026, under its eRIGHTS project and supported by the European Union, which defends human rights in the digital space.
A statement issued on Tuesday by the Country Director of ASF, Angela Uwandu Uzoma-Iwuchukwu, sent to Arise News in Abuja said at the heart of the case is press freedom.
ASF said Oyekunle, a journalist with Daily Independent Newspapers and Secretary of the FCT Council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), was on August 1, 2024 at the
Eagle Square, Abuja, “physically assaulted, unlawfully detained, and had his mobile phone seized by police while live-reporting the nationwide ‘End Bad Governance’ protests.”
The ECOWAS Court found that Nigeria’s actions suppressed his live coverage, breaching his right to freedom of expression under Article 9 of the African Charter.
The Court also ruled that the assault and detention violated his rights to personal liberty, his right to human dignity and freedom from degrading treatment under Articles 6 and 5, while the temporary seizure of his phone violated his right to property under Article 14.
It further held that Nigeria’s justification failed the test of necessity under international law, making the security forces’ conduct excessive and unlawful.
“This Judgment 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”, Uzoma-Iwuchukwu, said.
The Court’s pronouncement adds to growing jurisprudence from the regional court protecting journalists and human rights defenders who document protests and public interest events. ASF France will continue to monitor compliance with the judgment and provide legal aid to journalists facing similar violations.
ASF and the eRIGHTS project partners, said the 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,” ASF emphasised.
Friday Olokor
