The ECOWAS Community Court of Justice has given the Nigerian Government 30 days to file defence in a suit filed by a human rights lawyer, Samuel Ihensekhien Jnr. on behalf of civil society group, One Love Foundation.
Ihensekhien Jnr. filed the suit on behalf of the President of One Love Foundation, Chief Patrick Osagie Eholor, challenging the government of President Muhammadu Buhari over the indefinite suspension of the microblogging platform, Twitter.
The lawyer had, on June 8, 2021, dragged the Federal Government before the ECOWAS court in suit number: ECW/CCJ/APP/24/21 in Abuja, seeking a declaration for the reversal of the suspension and the actions of the Nigerian government in arbitrarily enforcing the banning of Twitter usage.
In a notice of registration sighted by SaharaReporters on Tuesday, the court ordered the Nigerian Government (Respondent) to file a defence within 30 days after service of the application.
The notice read, “Notice is now given that an application between Patrick Eholor and the Federal Republic of Nigeria was lodged by the applicant and registered by the court on June 9 2021.
“You are required to lodge a defence within thirty (30) days after service of this application on you and take note that in default of your so doing, the applicant may proceed therein, and judgement may be given in your absence.”
The lawyer is also seeking the sum of 100million dollars being all damages and inconvenience suffered by his organization members and Nigerians in general due to the ban of Twitter.
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