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Torture: ECOWAS Court Awards N60 million Against Nigeria

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Nigeria Threatens To Dump ECOWAS Over Discrepancies in Recruitment

Torture: ECOWAS Court Awards N60 million Against Nigeria

By: Michael Mike

ECOWAS Court has awarded N60 million in damages against the Nigerian government for the torture of Sunday Olaniran Ayodeji by a police officer.

Ayodeji, leg was amputated as a result of gunshot by a Police Officer in Kaduna State and had his possessions including; a car and the sum of N900,000 confiscated by the same police officer who inflicted the permanent injury on him.

Ayodeji’s case was handled at the court on pro-bono basis by Avocats Sans Frontieres France under the European Union (EU) and Agence française de Développement (AFD) funded SAFE Project

A statement on Tuesday said, “Avocats Sans Frontieres France (Lawyers without Borders France) is delighted to announce that the ECOWAS Court on the 10th of July, 2023 held the Nigerian Government responsible for the torture of Mr. Sunday Olaniran Ayodeji whose leg was amputated due to a gunshot by a Police Officer in Kaduna State, Nigeria. Mr. Ayodeji’s possessions including; a car and the sum of nine hundred thousand Naira (NGN 900,000) were also confiscated unlawfully by the same officer.

“The torture victim whose case was handled on pro-bono basis by Avocats Sans Frontieres France under the European Union (EU) and Agence française de Développement (AFD) funded SAFE Project was awarded Sixty Million Naira (NGN 60,000,000) with an order for the immediate return of his confiscated possessions. The Nigerian Government has also been ordered by the Court to internally investigate the human rights breach of Mr. Sunday Olaniran Ayodeji.

“Avocats Sans Frontieres France commends the ECOWAS Court for its judgment on this case and urges the Nigerian Government to uphold the directives of the Court. ASF France is also delighted that this judgment is coming on the heels of the commemoration of the 2023 International Day in Support of Victims of Torture (IDSVT), which re- emphasizes the need for collaborative efforts amongst all stakeholders of the criminal justice system to establish a
zero-tolerance culture to torture in Nigeria.”

Speaking to the members of the press today in Abuja, Nigeria, the Country Director of ASF France in Nigeria Mrs. Angela Uwandu Uzoma-Iwuchukwu said “We are delighted that despite all challenges and legal hurdles faced by our legal team in pursuit of justice in this case, justice was served. We are optimistic that this will serve as a deterrent against the systemic use of torture in Nigeria. The amount awarded by the Court will not restore our client who has been permanently disabled by torture, but it has given hope to not just Mr. Ayodeji but other torture survivors that justice is possible even against powerful governments and institutions.”

Read Also:https://dailypost.ng/2023/06/30/six-persons-killed-in-a-boko-haram-roadside-bomb-attack-in-borno/

Ayodeji reacting to the ruling of the ECOWAS Court said “My joy knows no bounds and I feel fulfilled and relieved from the inner pain that I have carried for so long due to the great injustice done to me which led to the loss of my leg. I am very grateful to Avocats Sans Frontieres France who provided a platform for me to obtain redress. I am also happy for what this judgment means for me and other victims of torture in Nigeria.

The case was handled by Avocats Sans Frontieres France under the auspices of its Strengthening the National Actors and Advocating for Ending Severe Human Rights Violation (SAFE) project funded by the European Union and Agence française de Développement (AFD) aimed at ending human rights violations of torture, extra-judicial killings and arbitrary detention in Nigeria. We believe this symbolic case has contributed to the development of the jurisprudence of the regional court on torture and we continue to stand in solidarity with all victims of torture and reemphasize the fact that torture remains a crime against humanity all over the world.

Torture: ECOWAS Court Awards N60 million Against Nigeria

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VP SHETTIMA AND THE ILLOGICAL PERMUTATIONS FOR 2027

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VP SHETTIMA AND THE ILLOGICAL PERMUTATIONS FOR 2027


By: Inuwa Bwala

As happened in 2023, when President Bola Ahmed Tinubu was to name his running mate, vested interests are again up in arms, trying to hoodwink or armstwist him into doing their bids.
What people forget, however, is that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is a master schemer and knows exactly what to do at the appropriate time. Contrary to what many people think, he has his own game plan and can not be compelled to play to the gallery.
In the last few weeks, I have read a plethora of writeups trying to give President Bola Ahmed Tinubu prescriptions on how to chart a new political course if he hopes to achieve his second term bid in the 2027 general elections.
Many of the write ups contain permutations in the event of the emergence of a perceived strong opposition and that unless he drops his Vice President for another person, he will have a difficult task.
As a student of political history, and given our experiences, I dare say that if Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Kashim Shettima could win in the face of all the obstacles placed in their ways from within and from without there does not appear any threat to this same ticket in 2027.
I must confess that I have not yet met a shrewed political strategist in Nigeria like the President who against all permutations settled for Kashim Shettima neither am I aware of any politician who could be as loyal dedicated and determined to his Boss as Shettima has demonstrated over the years.
The game is already on, and the biggest threat to Tinubu in 2027 is indeed any attempt to shift the goalpost in the mu
middle of the game.
As far as I know, the combination has given a very good account of itself, and with the rays of hope beyond the immediate horizon, Kashim Shettima remains President Bola Ahmed Tinubu best choice
I am aware that people have been trying to drive a wedge between them by framing false narratives that are neither here nor there. So as not to embolden those who are heating up the polity unnecessarily, the silence maintained on political permutations remains the best by both the president and the vice president.
Silence on certain issues has paid off for both of them before, and it will again pay off.
When people thought Bola Ahmed Tinubu was sick and weak and may even die before the end of his first tenure, he maintained a golden silence on his health status and rather magnified it as real thereby tricking all Nigerians into believing it was true.
Now that he has proven to be healthy and strong, the voices that predicted a doom for the presidency are silent.

VP SHETTIMA AND THE ILLOGICAL PERMUTATIONS FOR 2027

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Nigerien Army Deserter Who Joined Boko Haram Surrenders in Diffa Region

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Nigerien Army Deserter Who Joined Boko Haram Surrenders in Diffa Region

By: Our Reporter

A deserter from the Niger Republic Armed Forces who reportedly joined the terrorist group Boko Haram has surrendered to local authorities in Kindjandi, located in the Diffa Region of southeastern Niger Republic.
The individual, identified as Abba Ibrahim, had been serving with the Nigerien Armed Forces since 2022 before deserting his post in Bosso on March 8, 2025, according to military intelligence sources. He fled alongside a fellow soldier, Bandam Dala, and subsequently joined a Boko Haram faction active in the Lake Chad area.
Security sources disclosed that Ibrahim surrendered on April 21, 2025, arriving in Kindjandi on horseback with a rifle. He was accompanied by an unidentified young man whose details are yet to be confirmed.
Ibrahim was taken into custody by the Nigerien Armed Forces on the morning of April 22, 2025, and is currently undergoing debriefing and interrogation by military intelligence.
The Diffa Region has remained a hotspot for insurgent activity due to its proximity to Lake Chad and border areas with Nigeria, where Boko Haram and other extremist groups operate.

Nigerien Army Deserter Who Joined Boko Haram Surrenders in Diffa Region

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ECOWAS @50: WADEMOS Commends Subregional bloc for Inviting Mali, Burkina-Faso, Niger to Launch

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ECOWAS @50: WADEMOS Commends Subregional bloc for Inviting Mali, Burkina-Faso, Niger to Launch

By: Michael Mike

The West Africa Democracy Solidarity Network (WADEMOS) has commended the initiative by ECOWAS to extend an invitation to the governments of Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger for the official launch of ECOWAS’ golden jubilee in Accra.

The Network, in a press statement on Tuesday, said it supports the initiative by ECOWAS to ease tensions and foster diplomacy in a bid to sustain the common heritage, shared history, and longstanding socio-cultural ties of the peoples.

The statement read: “As ECOWAS opens its doors and extends an arm of friendship and collaboration to Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger, the Network encourages the three countries to reciprocate the gesture, upholding the spirit of good neighbourliness and cross-border cooperation. Such
cooperation is necessary now more than ever, especially as we require a concerted effort to confront matters of common interest to the subregion, such as security and trade.

“WADEMOS maintains the position that the restoration of trust and confidence between
Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger, on the one hand, and ECOWAS, on the other hand,
remains critical to sustaining cooperation and enhancing the free movement of goods and people. Building trust and confidence, we believe, is also critical to effectively combat the growing threat of terrorism across the subregion.

“Considering the close ties that exist among the West African peoples, WADEMOS
continues to urge the three Sahelian countries to be reconciliatory in their engagements with ECOWAS.”

WADEMOS is an independent and non-partisan network of diverse national and transnational civil society organisations and civic groups working to promote and defend democracy, good governance, and inclusive development in the West Africa region.

It mobilizes, coordinates, and leverages the collective voice and power of civil society and other pro-democracy actors, resources, and opportunities within the West Africa region to advance its mission. The current membership of WADEMOS stands at 47 spread across West Africa.

The WADEMOS Secretariat is based in Accra, Ghana.

ECOWAS @50: WADEMOS Commends Subregional bloc for Inviting Mali, Burkina-Faso, Niger to Launch

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