By Ama Chukwugoziem (Abia Writers)
Edited by Livingrich Ezeikpe
The ECOWAS Court was established in 1993, with the location at Abuja Nigeria. The court has jurisdiction over four (4) General types of disputes: (a) those relating to the interpretation, application, or legality of ECOWAS regulations (b) those arising between ECOWAS and its employees, (c) those relating to liability for or against ECOWAS and (d) those that involves a violation of human rights committed by member States.
The case of the leader of the Indigenous people of Biafra (IPOB) Mazi Nnamdi Kanu falls into the fourth jurisdiction mentioned above. The saying that "justice delayed is justice denied can apply in the case of the leader of Indigenous people of Biafra Mazi Nnamdi Kanu. Previous court rulings by the Nigerian courts were in favour of Mazi Kanu. For instance, on December 17, 2015.Justice Adeniyi Ademola, a judge of the federal high court Abuja had in DSS v Nnamdi Kanu, ordered for Kanu's unconditional release. The magistrate court in Wuse zone 2 of the federal capital territory, Abuja granted bail to Mazi Nnamdi Kanu.
Apart from Kanu’s case, there are other cases where courts granted bail or ordered the release of one or the other but Nigerian government would not obey it. This Day newspaper January 25, 2017, reaffirmed the bail granted former national security adviser (NSA) colonel Sambo Dasuki, but Nigerian government refused to obey that court order.
It is on record that the ECOWAS court set aside the unlawful detention of the Ex-NSA and imposed a fine of 15million Naira on the federal government of Nigeria as compensation to Dasuki which Buhari and his Islamic government has not complied with. Dasuki has been in the custody of the DSS since 2015. In one of his press statements, Ifeanyi Ejiofor, counsel to Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, commented on president Muhammadu Buhari's presidential media chat on December 30,2015 where Buhari, said that no court would grant Nnamdi Kanu bail.
Recently the European Union (EU) expressed fear that Nigerian government has consistently ignored instructions. The Nigerian government has been using the anti-graft commission, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the state security service (Nigeria SSS), or DSS to disobey court rulings in Nigeria Making a mockery of the judiciary. It is against this backdrop that Mazi Kanu’s suit was filed in ECOWAS court in March 2016. Since then there have been series of adjournments. By transferring the case to Mali, everybody is hoping that justice will finally be done.
BIAFRA Restoration the final hope.
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