The ECOWAS Court of Justice on 3 December, 2024, delivered a judgment in the case of Oluwatimilehin Adebayo v. Federal Republic of Nigeria (ECW/CCJ/APP/47/23), ordering the Federal Republic of Nigeria to pay ₦5 million in compensation to the applicant for the violation of his right to freedom from torture.
The case arose from the brutal treatment of Mr. Oluwatimilehin Adebayo by police officers in Ogun State, who subjected him to severe physical abuse, including beating him with the handle of an axe and tying his limbs with chains to a pole.
This ordeal caused him physical injuries, including trauma to his scrotum, and left him suffering from significant psychological distress.
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The respondent challenged the jurisdiction of the Court, arguing that the case was filed outside the three-year limitation period stipulated under the Court’s rules, rendering it statute-barred. It also argued that the Court lacks jurisdiction to hear the matter, arguing that it would involve reviewing a case that is either pending (sub judice) or already decided by a municipal court within the Respondent State.
In the Judgment delivered by Honourable Justice Dupe Atoki, the Judge Rapporteur, the Court ruled that these acts constituted torture, violating Article 5 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights, to which Nigeria is a party. The Court noted that the torture was intentional and aimed at coercing Mr. Adebayo into signing a pre-written statement. Consequently, it ordered the Federal Republic of Nigeria to pay ₦5 million in compensation to the Applicant for the violation of his right to freedom from torture.
It also ordered Nigeria to conduct a prompt, impartial, and effective investigation into the torture and prosecute those responsible.
However, the Court dismissed the claim that the applicant’s right to a remedy had been violated, noting that there was no evidence the Applicant had formally reported the abuse to relevant authorities.
Earlier, the Court dismissed Nigeria’s preliminary objections, affirming its jurisdiction to hear human rights cases, and ruled that the matter was admissible. It clarified that the statute of limitations under Article 9(3)(b) of the Court’s Protocol does not apply to human rights violations.
The three-member panel of the Court were Honourable Justice Sengu Mohamed Koroma (presiding judge), Honourable Justice Dupe Atoki (judge rapporteur), and Honourable Justice Gberi-Bè Ouattara (Panel member)
