The ECOWAS Court sitting in Abuja in a suit filed by renowned human rights activist and President of One Love Foundation, Chief Patrick Eholor has given the Nigerian government 30 days to respond to the suit filed by him, seeking reparation in hundreds of millions dollars for the deceased parents of Miss Jumoke, who was killed during the Yoruba group nation protest/rally at Ojota on Saturday, 3rd July, 2021.
The 14-year-old yoghurt hawker, simply identified as Jumoke, was allegedly killed by bullets reportedly fired by a security operative, who was dispersing Yoruba Nation agitators at Ojota, Lagos State.
Viral images on social media show that bullets ripped open the victim’s stomach.
Jumoke was reportedly displaying drinks at a shop when the stray bullet hit her.
The applicant who filed the suit, Chief Patrick Osagie Eholor is requesting the ECOWAS Court to put to halt the continuous intimidation, suppression, harassment, killing, sometimes shooting of peaceful protesters, who in pursuit of their fundamental rights to peaceful protest are routinely killed, arrested and locked up by different security agencies all over Nigeria by the different Nigeria state security agencies.
Speaking on the case, the legal representative of One Love Foundation, Ihensekhien Samuel Jnr, maintained and stated that peaceful protest is not and can never be a crime in Nigeria and protest in Nigeria is protected by the provisions of Nigeria constitution, which guarantees the rights to freedom of expression and information, and also Articles 8 and 9 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights and also Articles 7, 9 & 19 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights 1976, which all treaty, laws Nigeria is signatory to.
So he wonders why protest is being demonize and sometimes criminalize by state actors in Nigeria. He also said with the recent clamp down on Omoleye Sowore during a protest at Unity Fountain in Abuja, One Love Foundation, did write vide an open letter to the Nigeria state, Nigeria Police Force, on the need to maintain fairness and protect lawful protesters during protest, that uptil now, no official communication, nor response to the group demands and letter, wherein the above has embolden the need, why One Love Foundation has now approached the ECOWAS Court to determine in finality, the illegality of continuous clampdown on peaceful protesters by Nigeria security agencies and Nigeria state actors in Nigeria, he concluded.
Reacting the Global president of One Love Foundation, Chief Patrick Eholor described the suit as watershed meant to determine in finality and for once, whether the incessant clamp down on peaceful protest by Nigeria security agencies and state is not unconstitutional and illegal, he reiterated that justice will be done by the ECOWAS court in the case.
