ECOWAS Court Dismisses Nigerian’s N5 Million Damages Claim Over Police Torture

The ECOWAS Court has ruled against Nigerian citizen Chukwuemeka Edeh, who had sought N5 million in damages over claims of unlawful detention and torture by officers of the disbanded Police Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS).

In a ruling delivered by a three-judge panel, led by Justice Ricardo Gonçalves, the court rejected Edeh’s request for a default judgment after the Nigerian government failed to respond to his case. Justice Edward Asante, speaking on behalf of the panel, explained that while the court had jurisdiction over the matter, the evidence provided by Edeh was insufficient to support his claim for damages.

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Edeh, from Enugu State, accused SARS officers of torturing him during his detention, alleging physical abuse including tear gas exposure, beatings, and coerced confessions. He argued that his human rights, protected under the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights and other international laws, were violated during the incident. However, despite the serious nature of the allegations, the court found the evidence lacking in substantiating the claim for compensation.