On May 19, the ECOWAS Court of Justice in Abuja will hear a suit seeking justice for 11 Nigerian journalists who were killed between 1998 and 2019.
The Media Rights Agenda (MRA) filed the suit in 2021 to compel the government to properly investigate the unresolved killings of these journalists and also to identify and prosecute their killers.
The MRA is a non-governmental organisation with focus on freedom of expression, access to information and media development and persecutions.
According to a statement by the MRA on Wednesday, the journalists were killed in relation to their professional duties and no one has ever been charged or prosecuted for the killings.
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“The suit will be heard through a virtual court session, according to the Court’s Chief Registrar, who said in a “Hearing Notice” that it has been set down for hearing at 10am, Abuja time,” noted the MRA.
The 11 deceased journalists are:
| No | Name | Media organisation | Designation | Date | Where | How |
| 1 | Mr. Tunde Oladepo | The Guardian newspaper | Bureau Chief | February 26, 1998 | Ogun State | Killed by gunmen in his home in front of wife and children |
| 2 | Mr. Okezie Amauben | Newsservice magazine | Publisher | September 2, 1998 | Enugu State | Shot and killed by a police officer |
| 3 | Mr. Fidelis Ikwuebe | The Guardian newspaper | Freelance journalist | April 18, 1999 | Anambra State | Abducted and murdered while covering violent clashes between the Aguleri and Umuleri communities |
| 4 | Mr. Sam Nimfa-Jan | Details magazine | Reporter | May 27, 1999 | Kaduna State | Killed in Kafanchan while covering riots between Hausa Fulani and Zangon-Kataf groups |
| 5 | Mr. Samson Boyi | The Scope newspaper | Photojournalist | November 5, 1999 | Bauchi State* | Killed by armed men while on assignment to cover a visit by the then State governor, Mr. Boni Haruna, to the neighbouring Bauchi State |
| 6 | Mr. Bayo Ohu | The Guardian newspaper | Assistant news editor | September 20, 2009 | Lagos State | Shot by armed men in his home |
| 7 | Mr. Nathan Dabak | Light Bearer newspaper | Deputy editor | April 24, 2010 | Jos State | Attacked and killed by a mob while on a reporting assignment |
| 8 | Mr. Sunday Gyang Bwede | Light Bearer newspaper | Reporter | April 24, 2010 | Jos State | Attacked and killed by a mob while on a reporting assignment |
| 9 | Mr. Zakariya Isa | Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) | Reporter and cameraman | October 22, 2011 | — | Boko Haram reportedly claimed responsibility for his death. |
| 10 | Mr. Enenche Akogwu | Channels Television | Reporter and camera operator | January 20, 2012 | Kano State | Killed by gunmen suspected to be Boko Haram members |
| 11 | Mr. Precious Owolabi | Channels Television | Corps member and reporter | July 22, 2019 | Abuja | Shot and killed while covering a protest by members of the Islamic Movement of Nigeria resulting in a confrontation with the Nigerian Police |
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Some of the MRA’s demands include the declaration that the killing of the 11 journalists violated their fundamental right to life and rights to freedom of expression and the press.
The MRA also wants the court to direct the government to prevent further attacks on journalists and other media workers, transparent and impartial investigations into the killings, as well as N10 million compensation to each of the victims’ families.
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