By Monsurat Abisoye
The ECOWAS Community Court of Justice has ordered the Federal Government of Nigeria to pay N10 million in general damages to journalist Jide Oyekunle over his unlawful arrest, physical assault, and the seizure of his property while covering the #EndBadGovernanceInNigeria protests in Abuja.
The judgment, delivered on 22 June 2026 in Suit No. ECW/CCJ/APP/29/25 was secured by Avocats Sans Frontières France (Lawyers Without Borders France) under its European Union-supported eRIGHTS project, which promotes the protection of human rights in the digital space.
Oyekunle, a reporter with Independent Newspaper and Secretary of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), FCT Council, was assaulted, detained, had his camera damaged, and his mobile phone confiscated by armed police officers acting on the orders of former FCT Commissioner of Police, Benneth Igweh, at Eagle Square on 1 August 2024 while reporting on the nationwide protests.
The Court agreed with the applicant’s counsel, Collins I. Maidoh-Anene, that the journalist’s detention and the seizure of his phone were excessive, unjustified, and contrary to international law. It held Nigeria liable for violating his rights to freedom of expression, personal liberty, human dignity, and property as protected under the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights.
According to the ruling, the actions of security operatives disrupted Oyekunle’s live coverage of the protest, thereby infringing his right to freedom of expression under Article 9 of the Charter. The Court also found that his assault and detention breached Articles 5 and 6 relating to human dignity and personal liberty, while the confiscation of his phone violated his property rights under Article 14.
The regional court further ruled that the Nigerian government failed to justify the actions under the necessity test required by international law, making the conduct of the security personnel unlawful and excessive.
Reacting to the judgment, the Country Director of Avocats Sans Frontières France, Angela Uwandu Uzoma-Iwuchukwu, described the ruling as a significant affirmation that journalists’ digital devices are essential tools of modern journalism and that arbitrary confiscation amounts to an attack on press freedom and the public’s right to information. She added that the organisation would continue monitoring compliance with the judgment and supporting journalists facing similar rights violations.
Oyekunle welcomed the decision, describing it as a victory not only for himself but also for journalists, media workers, and citizens who believe in freedom of expression, access to information, and civic participation. He said the ruling reinforces the need to hold security agencies accountable for violations of fundamental rights and stressed that press freedom remains essential to democratic governance, transparency, and accountability.
The journalist also expressed appreciation to the NUJ FCT Council, Avocats Sans Frontières France, colleagues, rights advocates, and other supporters who stood by him throughout the legal process.
