On Thursday, the ECOWAS Court of Justice dismissed a go well with filed by the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP), searching for N50 million for every sufferer of the Abuja-Kaduna prepare assault.
Terrorists in March 2022 bombed an Abuja-Kaduna rail line close to Rigasa in Kaduna and kidnapped a number of passengers.
At least 30 individuals died within the incident.
Another 150 victims are nonetheless unaccounted for.
Justice Dupe Atoki, who delivered the judgement, held that SERAP’s claims had been inadmissible as a result of the organisation failed to fulfill the “victim status” requirement important for litigation below Article 10(d) of the identical Protocol.
She mentioned: “The court docket recognises its jurisdiction to listen to the case because it concerned potential human rights violations inside a member state, in accordance with Article 9(4) of the ECOWAS Supplementary Protocol.
“However, the court docket determines that the case doesn’t meet the factors for a public curiosity motion, or actio popularis, which requires that the alleged violations have an effect on a big, indeterminate section of the general public or most people itself.
“The victims of the March 28 attack were identifiable individuals rather than an indeterminate public group, making the claim unsuitable as a public interest litigation.”
Other members of the panel are Justice Ricardo Gonçalves (chairman) and Justice Sengu Koroma.
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