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Akinwande Soji-Ojo
The ECOWAS Court of Justice sitting in Abuja has ordered the immediate release of Republic of Niger’s ousted President, Mohamed Bazoum, who has been held in detention since a July 26, 2023 coup.
The court, in a judgement delivered on Friday by the three-member panel of Justices Dupe Atoki, Ricardo Claúdio Monteiro Gonçalves and Sengu Koroma, ordered the “immediate and unconditional release” of Bazoum. It also said Bazoum should be reinstated immediately.
“There are constitutional rights that have been violated.
“It is Mohamed Bazoum who represents the state of Niger; he remains president of the republic,” the court ruled.
Bazoum has been detained in his presidential palace with his wife and son since he was overthrown.
Niger’s military junta did not immediately respond to the judgement. However, other member states have, in the past, ignored rulings from the ECOWAS court.
Bazoum had in September approached the ECOWAS Court of Justice to enforce his fundamental human rights and the restoration of constitutional order in Niger Republic.
Reacting, one of Bazoum’s lawyers, Seydou Diagne, said: “The decisions of the court are not subject to any appeal.
“For the first time, military authorities who, with their coup d’état, violated the principles of the constitution of ECOWAS were convicted.
“It is the responsibility of ECOWAS and its member states to ensure that this court decision is effectively applied.”
ECOWAS had on Thursday announced that Niger was now suspended from all of its “decision-making bodies” until constitutional order is restored.