Journalist Jalingo’s illegal detention, ill-treatment : ECOWAS Court awards N30m damages against FG

For the detention, ill-treatment and torturing of a journalist, Agba Jalingo, in Cross River State for several months, the ECOWAS Court has awarded N30 million damages against the Federal Government of Nigeria.

The judgment followed a suit instituted on behalf of Jalingo by the SERAP.

Persecondnews recalls that the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) had on February 9, 2020 dragged the federal government and Cross River State Government under Governor Ben Ayade to ECOWAS Court of Justice in Abuja “over the prolonged, arbitrary detention, unfair prosecution, persecution, and sham trial of journalist, Agba Jalingo.”

Jalingo, who is the publisher of Cross River Watch, was arrested on August 22 over a report alleging that Mr Ayade diverted N500 million belonging to the state.

In the suit no. ECW/CCJ/APP/10/2020 filed at the ECOWAS Court, SERAP is arguing that: “The sole objective of the government of Nigeria and the Cross River state government of governor Ben Ayade is to perpetually keep Agba Jalingo in arbitrary detention and to silence him simply for expressing critical views and carrying out his legitimate job as journalist.”

Details of the judgment shortly…..