SERAP sues President and Ecowas over killings by Herdsmen

Culled from PMNews

The Registered Trustees of the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) have dragged the Federal Government to the ECOWAS Community Court of Justice in Abuja over “failure to prevent, account for and investigate killings, raping, maiming of Nigerians and other residents, and destruction of property across the country by herdsmen, the military and police.”

In the suit No ECW/CCJ/APP/15/16 and filed yesterday by Solicitor to SERAP, Femi Falana SAN, the Plaintiff contends “that the continuing attacks, killings, raping, maiming of Nigerians and other residents, and destruction of property by the military, police, herdsmen and other unknown perpetrators across the country amount to serious violations of human rights of the rights to life, to the security and dignity of the human person, and to property.”

The suit reads in part: “The plaintiff contends that the defendant is responsible for these human rights violations and abuses by the military, police, herdsmen and other unknown perpetrators which have not been adequately prevented, investigated or prosecuted by the authorities. These responsibilities are heightened when an observable pattern has been overlooked or ignored, such as is the case in this suit.”

“The plaintiff also contends that the obligation to secure the right to life is not confined to cases where it has been established that the killings were caused by an agent of the state. Nor is it decisive whether those affected or their families have lodged a formal complaint about the killings with the competent investigatory authority.”

The plaintiff is therefore, among other reliefs, seeking an order of the court directing the defendant and/or its agents individually and/or collectively to respect, protect, promote, and fulfil the human rights of Nigerians and residents and communities across the country that have suffered attacks and human rights violations abuses by the military, police, herdsmen and other unknown perpetrators.