Economy
Court Dismisses Human Rights Violation Claim Against Nigeria: ECOWAS
Court Dismisses Human Rights Violation Claim Against Nigeria: ECOWAS
Court dismisses human rights violation claim against Nigeria. The court noted that the action was not for the benefit of the public, and the applicant didn’t demonstrate that the victims couldn’t be envisioned by the court.
The ECOWAS Court of Justice has dismissed an alleged human rights violation suit filed by one Patrick Eholor, on behalf of Makia Media Limited, against the Federal Government.
The applicant had in suit number ECW/CCJ/APP/43/21, alleged that Nigeria’s broadcasting laws violated social media rights, human rights defenders, activists, bloggers, and journalists.
Delivering judgment, Justice Sengu Koroma, Judge Rapporteur, with Justices Ricardo Gonçalves (presiding) and Dupe Atoki (member), dismissed the applicant’s claims and upheld the preliminary objection raised by Nigeria.
The court held that the applicant lacked the legal capacity to bring the matter before it as ‘actio popularis’ (public interest) suit.
According to the community court, the applicant also failed to present evidence mandating him to act in a representational capacity on behalf of Makia Media Limited.
It, therefore, declared the entire suit inadmissible “both as an actio popularis suit and a representational suit.”
“The reliefs sought must be exclusively for the benefit of the public to the exclusion of the personal interest of the applicant,” Justice Koroma held.
The court noted that it only had jurisdiction to entertain the case because it bordered on alleged human rights violations but pointed out that the case was inadmissible.
The court further held that although the applicant had jurisdiction to bring a claim for human rights violation as a corporate body, the suit neither met the requirement of ‘actio popularis’ principle.
According to the community court, the action was not for the benefit of the public, and the applicant did not demonstrate that the victims cannot be envisioned by the court.
Mr Eholor had in his submission argued that various Nigerian Broadcasting Code provisions were inconsistent with the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights, and International Treaties and Conventions to which Nigeria is a signatory.
The applicant had further claimed that in July 2020, the Respondent through the Nigeria Broadcasting Commission (NBC) began implementation of repressive Sections of the Code, particularly Sections 5, 4 (1), (f) and 5 (4), (3).
He argued that NBC considered coverage on security issues as a threat to governance and engaged in arbitrary arrest and detention of media practitioners.
He further claimed that the respondent also failed to release public information sought by practitioners, which violated their rights to freedom of expression and information.
ECOWAS
Responding, Nigeria denied the applicant’s claims, arguing that no court had declared any section of the NBC Code as ambiguous or illegal and the applicant had not been prevented from exercising its rights within the limits of the law.
It added that the applicant was not at any time arrested or detained, and as a corporate body, lacked the capacity to sue for the violation of human rights.
The court, however, ordered Nigeria to pay an interlocutory cost of N250,000 to the applicant due to the respondent’s “tardiness” in the course of the matter.
Deepwater Development on the Cards as GCEO NNPC Limited Meets NAE MD
Group CEO of NNPC Limited, Engr. Bashir Bayo Ojulari, received in audience the Vice Chairman/Managing Director of Nigerian Agip Exploration Limited (NAE), Mr. Maurizio Pinna, in Abuja recently.
Eereporter.com
Discussions centred on deepwater development with a focus on the work underway on the acreage held by the two companies as well as expected production.
NNPC, NAE
NAE operates the licences converted from OPL 245 together with NNPC Limited and SNEPCo. The acreage holds the Zabazaba and Etan deepwater fields, estimated at 500 MMbbl of reserves.
Eereporter.com
NNPC, EITI Strengthen Cooperation on Deeper Disclosures, Global Standards
The Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited and the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI) have pledged to deepen their cooperation towards deeper disclosures, transparent reporting, and compliance with global EITI standards.
Eereporter.com
The pledge came on the heels of a visit by the EITI Africa Country Director, Gilbert Makore, to the NNPC Towers recently. The visit forms part of the ongoing validation of Nigeria against the 2023 EITI Standard.
Makore particularly commended NNPC Limited’s measurable progress on outstanding validation requirements and with disclosures that now track EITI expectations more closely.
Group CEO of NNPC Limited, Engr. Bashir Bayo Ojulari, who described the EITI as a useful platform for attracting investment and building stakeholder confidence, said it allows the company to show its governance and transparency records.
NNPC
Makore was accompanied on the visit by the EITI Validation Lead, Riley Zecca; the Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI) Director, Policy, Planning and Strategy, Dieter Bassi; Director, Technical, Sa’ad Balarabe; and Director, Communications and Stakeholder Management, Obiageli Onuorah.
Technical sessions with the NNPC’s Governance, Risk, and Compliance (GRC) Division were held to review the work done to close identified validation gaps.
Eereporter.com
Crime
EFCC Commences Investigations of Suspect, $73,000, £15,957 & 827,800 SAR Intercepted at Kano Airport
EFCC Commences Investigations of Suspect, $73,000, £15,957 & 827,800 SAR Intercepted at Kano Airport
The Kano Zonal Directorate of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has commenced investigation of a suspect, Haruna Yusuf and multiple undeclared foreign currencies, , $73,000( Seventy Three United States Dollar) £15,957 ( Fifteen Thousand, Nine Hundred and Fifty Seven Pound Sterling) & 827,800 Saudi Riyal intercepted by the Nigeria Customs Service, NCS, at the Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport, MAKIA.
Eereporter.com
The investigation commenced after the handover of the suspect and the undeclared currencies by the Acting Customs Area Comptroller of the Kano/Jigawa Command, Deputy Comptroller U. U. Adamu at the Customs Area Command in Kano.
The intercepted currencies, which exceeded the legally permitted threshold, were discovered during routine primary and secondary screenings of arriving passengers between August 8 and August 12, 2026.
The Acting Zonal Director of the EFCC, Kano Directorate, Assistant Commander of the EFCC, ACE1 Friday S. Ebelo, received the suspect and the recovered funds on behalf of the Commission.
According to Adamu, the Customs made two separate interceptions.
On August 8, 2026, “at approximately 14:20 hours, officers conducting passenger screening at the baggage seat of MAKIA intercepted an unaccompanied Saudi Air luggage containing 827,800 Saudi Riyals and $53,300 The currencies were found concealed inside a footwear.” Adamu stated.
Similarly, on August 12, 2026 “at approximately 13:50 hours, officers of the Nigerian Custom Service also flagged a luggage belonging to one Mr. Haruna Yusuf, who arrived at MAKIA on board Ethiopian Airlines flight ET941. During secondary screening using Non-Intrusive Inspection Technology, $20,000 USD and £15,957 were found concealed inside sportswear shoes”, he said.
Adamu thereafter formally handed over the suspect, Mr. Haruna Yusuf, alongside all recovered exhibits to Ebelo for further investigation and prosecution. He noted that the handover was in accordance with Section 4(f) of the NCS Act 2023, which empowers the Service to collaborate with other border regulatory agencies.
Adamu further explained that, “these interceptions demonstrate the readiness and vigilance of our officers in detecting cross-border movement of undeclared foreign currencies above the allowed threshold. The Command will continue to deploy technology, professional expertise, and intelligence-driven measures, including inter-agency collaboration to strengthen border controls and protect the integrity of Nigeria’s financial systems.”
Receiving the suspect and exhibits on behalf of the Executive Chairman of the EFCC, Mr. Ola Olukoyede, Ebelo expressed profound gratitude to the Customs Service for its professionalism and cooperation with EFCC officers recently deployed to the airport.
“We must sustain this vigilance at all our entry points to counter the illegal movement of currency. The failure to declare large sums of currency and its equivalent is a violation of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022,” he said.
He urged the public to comply with the law, emphasizing that declaring currency attracts no penalty, only the source of undeclared funds may raise legal concerns.
“Once more, we call on the general public: as much as we are Nigerians and we encourage trade in and out of the country, people must adhere to the laws of the land. You must declare the currency you are carrying. If you declare it, nobody will seize your currency,” he said.
EFCC
Ebelo reaffirmed the EFCC’s commitment to thorough investigations and prosecution, stating that the Commission would continue to follow the law diligently
Both Ebelo and Adamu applauded the longstanding synergy between the EFCC and NCS which has been critical to combating financial crimes and illegal cash movement across Nigeria’s borders.
Eereporter.com
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