ECOWAS Court Orders Nigerian Government To Compensate Glory Okolie ₦10 Million For Illegal Detention

ECOWAS Court Orders Nigerian Government To Compensate Glory Okolie ₦10 Million For Illegal DetentionThe ECOWAS Court of Justice has ruled that the Nigerian government must pay ₦10 million in compensation to Glory Okolie, a Nigerian student, for her unlawful detention and mistreatment by the police.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶

In its judgment delivered on Thursday, November 21, 2024, the court also directed the government to implement measures to prevent similar human rights violations in the future.

Okolie was arrested on June 13, 2021, and held without judicial authorization. During her detention, she was reportedly denied legal representation, subjected to forced labor, and physically abused.

The case was brought before the court by Okolie, the One Love Foundation, and the Incorporated Trustees of Behind Bars Human Rights Foundation, arguing that her treatment violated provisions of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights and the Revised ECOWAS Treaty.

In its defense, the Federal Government claimed that Okolie had ties to the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and argued that her detention was necessary for national security. However, in delivering the judgment, Justice Ricardo Gonçalves emphasized that Okolie’s prolonged detention without judicial oversight violated her fundamental rights to liberty and a fair trial, as guaranteed under Articles 6 and 7 of the African Charter.

“The court found her treatment to be a clear abuse of human rights,” the judgment stated.

In addition to the ₦10 million compensation, the court ordered the Nigerian government to cease all forms of harassment against Okolie and to introduce safeguards to prevent similar violations in the future.

While the two co-applicant NGOs, the One Love Foundation and Behind Bars Human Rights Foundation, were not awarded damages due to procedural issues, the court underscored the significance of upholding human rights protections.

The case was heard by a three-member panel, including Honourable Justice Ricardo Cláudio Monteiro Gonçalves, Honourable Justice Sengu Mohamed Koroma, and Honourable Justice Edward Amoako Asante.

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