The Community Court of Justice, ECOWAS, has declared inadmissible a case filed by Khalifa Abiola and two others against the Federal Government of Nigeria over alleged human rights violations related to the assassination of Mrs. Kudirat Abiola.
In its ruling on Friday, the court, led by Justice Edward Amoako Asante, stated that the applicants lacked the legal capacity to sue, as they failed to establish a direct relationship with Mrs. Abiola or present any legal mandate to act on behalf of her estate.
The suit, numbered ECW/CCJ/APP/62/22, was filed by Khalifa Abiola, Moriam Abiola, and Hadi Abiola. The applicants argued that the Nigerian government had violated Kudirat Abiola’s fundamental rights by failing to hold her killers accountable, despite a Commission of Inquiry identifying a key suspect, Sergeant Barnabas Jebila.
Mrs. Kudirat Abiola, wife of Chief MKO Abiola—the widely recognized winner of Nigeria’s annulled 1993 presidential election—was assassinated in 1996 while advocating for her husband’s release from detention.
While the ECOWAS Court dismissed the case, it rejected Nigeria’s objections regarding its jurisdiction, affirming its competence to hear human rights violation cases involving member states. However, it clarified that it does not serve as an appellate body over national court rulings.
The court stated that the applicants had not demonstrated legal standing to sue on behalf of the late Mrs. Kudirat Abiola’s estate, leading to the case’s dismissal.
The ruling was delivered by a panel of judges, including Justice Sengu Mohamed Koroma (Presiding), Hon. Justice Gberi-bè Ouattara, and Hon. Justice Edward Amoako Asante.