The Nigerian government is facing a lawsuit at the ECOWAS Community Court of Justice over the alleged killing of at least nine women protesters by soldiers in Adamawa State earlier this month.
The suit was filed by the Cadrell Advocacy Centre, a non-governmental organization, on behalf of the deceased women and their families.
The incident occurred on December 8, when women staged a peaceful demonstration in the Lamurde Local Government Area to protest a government-imposed curfew that was part of the response to clashes between the Bachama and Chobo communities.
According to the court filing, Nigerian Army soldiers opened fire on the protesters after their convoy was temporarily blocked.
The suit alleges that one soldier first fired warning shots into the air before other personnel opened fire directly on the women, killing at least nine instantly and injuring several others.
This account is supported by eyewitness testimony and was previously condemned by Amnesty International Nigeria, which also attributed the killings to the army.
Despite these claims, the Nigerian Army has denied responsibility, blaming a local militia for the violence.
The lawsuit notes that to date, no soldier has been arrested, prosecuted, or disciplined in connection with the incident, and no compensation has been offered to the victims’ families.
The Cadrell Advocacy Centre is now asking the ECOWAS Court to declare the killings a violation of multiple articles of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights.
The suit demands that the court order Nigeria to conduct a transparent investigation, prosecute those responsible, and award N10 billion (approximately $6.7 million) in damages to the families of the deceased.
