Civil rights group, Egalitarian Mission for Africa (EMA), has dragged the Economic Community of West African (ECOWAS) to the bloc’s court over the proposed military intervention in Niger Republic.
The suit was instituted by a Nigerian lawyer Kayode Ajulo.
According to the suit marked ECW/CCJ/APP/3/23, ECOWAS treaties prohibit aggression among member states.
Also, the group wants the regional court to invoke relevant ECOWAS treaties and international laws to stop the military invasion of Niger.
Apart from EMA, other plaintiffs in the suit are a former director-general of the Nigerian Institute of the Internal Affairs (NIIA), Bola Akinterinwa and Hamza Dantani, a lawyer.
Defendants in the matter are the ECOWAS, Authority of Heads of State and Government of ECOWAS, president of ECOWAS Mission, Federal Republic of Nigeria and Republic of Niger.
He said the military intervention would specifically violate Articles 1, 5, 15, 16, 17, 21, 22 and 24 of the African charter on human and peoples’ rights and others.
However, no date has been fixed for hearing of the suit.
