The ECOWAS Court of Justice has dismissed a case filed against the Nigerian government over the 1996 assassination of Kudirat Abiola, wife of late politician MKO Abiola.
The lawsuit was brought by Khalifa Abiola, Moriam Abiola, and Hadi Abiola, who claimed to be representing themselves and the estate of the deceased.
According to the plaintiffs, Kudirat was actively involved in the fight for her husband’s release after he was imprisoned following the annulled 1993 presidential election.
They argued that the Nigerian government failed to bring those responsible for her murder to justice, violating her fundamental human rights under the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights.
They cited a Commission of Inquiry report that allegedly identified one Sergeant Barnabas Jebila as a suspect in the assassination.
However, the ECOWAS Court ruled that the applicants did not provide sufficient proof of their direct relationship with Kudirat or legal authorization to file the case on behalf of her estate.
Without such evidence, the court stated that it could not establish their right to sue the government, News About Nigeria gathered.
The Nigerian government had also challenged the court’s authority to hear the case, arguing that the matter had already been addressed by the country’s judicial system and that it fell outside the court’s jurisdiction.
The ECOWAS Court dismissed these objections, affirming its role in assessing human rights violations by member states.
Despite this, the court concluded that the case was inadmissible due to the applicants’ lack of legal standing.
The ruling was delivered by a panel of three judges: Sengu Mohamed Koroma, Gberi-bè Ouattara, and Edward Amoako Asante.
