ECOWAS Court Orders Nigeria to Pay N10m Compensation to Journalist Jide Oyekunle Over Rights Violations During #EndBadGovernance Protest
The ECOWAS Community Court of Justice has ordered the Federal Government of Nigeria to pay N10 million in compensation to journalist Jide Oyekunle after ruling that security operatives violated his fundamental rights while he was covering the nationwide #EndBadGovernance protests in Abuja.
The judgment, delivered on June 22, 2026, came after a lawsuit filed by Avocats Sans Frontières France (ASF France), also known as Lawyers Without Borders France, through its European Union-backed eRIGHTS project.
According to a statement released by ASF France and made available to SaharaReporters on Wednesday, the regional court found Nigeria responsible for violating Oyekunle’s rights to freedom of expression, personal liberty, dignity, and property after he was allegedly assaulted, unlawfully detained, and had his mobile phone seized while carrying out his duties as a journalist.
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, Abuja, when security personnel attacked and detained him.
In Suit No. ECW/CCJ/APP/29/25, the ECOWAS Court ruled that the actions of the security operatives disrupted Oyekunle’s live coverage of the protest and violated his right to freedom of expression under Article 9 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights.
The court further ruled that the assault and detention breached Articles 5 and 6 of the Charter, which protect individuals against degrading treatment and safeguard personal liberty. It also held that the temporary confiscation of the journalist’s mobile phone violated his property rights under Article 14.
According to the court, Nigeria failed to justify the conduct of its security personnel under internationally accepted principles of necessity and proportionality, making the actions excessive and unlawful.
Reacting to the ruling, ASF France’s Country Director in Nigeria, Angela Uwandu Uzoma-Iwuchukwu, described the judgment as a major win for press freedom and digital rights.
“This judgment sends a strong message that a journalist’s digital tools are extensions of the modern newsroom, and their arbitrary seizure by security agencies amounts to an attack on the public’s right to information,” she said.
ASF France noted that the decision strengthens regional legal protections for journalists, media professionals, and human rights defenders documenting protests and issues of public interest across West Africa.
The organisation also stated that it would continue monitoring Nigeria’s compliance with the ruling and provide legal support for journalists facing similar rights violations.
The case is linked to the nationwide #EndBadGovernance protests that swept across Nigeria in August 2024 over economic hardship, rising inflation, food costs, and government policies. During the demonstrations, several journalists and protesters accused security agencies of harassment, intimidation, and unlawful arrests.
Human rights groups had repeatedly raised concerns over attacks on journalists covering public demonstrations, warning that such incidents threaten press freedom and democratic accountability.
The eRIGHTS project, under which the lawsuit 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, strategic litigation, and capacity-building efforts.
