The ECOWAS Community Court of Justice has ordered the Federal Republic of Nigeria to pay ₦10,000,000 in damages to journalist Jide Oyekunle for physical assault, unlawful detention, and the seizure of his mobile phone by security forces. The landmark ruling in Suit No. ECW/CCJ/APP/29/25 was delivered on June 22, 2026. The legal victory was secured by Avocats Sans Frontières France (Lawyers Without Borders France) under its European Union-supported eRIGHTS project, which champions human rights within the digital space.
The case arose from an incident at Eagle Square, Abuja, where Jide Oyekunle, the Chairman of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Chapter of the Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ) was targeted by police personnel. While live-reporting the nationwide ‘#EndBadGovernance’ protests, Oyekunle was assaulted, detained, and stripped of his primary reporting tool.
In its judgment, the regional court ruled that the actions of the Nigerian security forces directly suppressed Oyekunle’s live media coverage, constituting a severe breach of his right to freedom of expression under Article 9 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights.
Furthermore, the court established that the state violated multiple provisions of the African Charter, including infringement on personal liberty, human dignity, and protection from degrading treatment through his assault and detention and violation of the right to property due to the arbitrary confiscation of his mobile device.
The ECOWAS Court rejected the Nigerian government’s defense, ruling that the heavy-handed conduct of the security forces failed the international legal test of necessity and was entirely excessive.
Reacting to the judgment, Angela Uwandu Uzoma-Iwuchukwu, Country Director of Avocats Sans Frontières France in Nigeria, praised the decision as a massive win for modern journalism.
”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 press freedom,” Uzoma-Iwuchukwu stated. “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.”
The eRIGHTS project partners added that the ruling serves as a stern warning to security agencies that targeting media personnel during public demonstrations will attract strict accountability, reinforcing the ECOWAS Court’s role as a vital shield for civic space in West Africa.
