Amos O Enabulele Introduction The case of ECW/CCJ/JUD/11/26: the State of Cabo Verde v the ECOWAS Parliament evidences the first time in the history of the ECOWAS Community Court of Justice that a member State has filed an Application before the Court to assert a right conferred by Community Law. The other cases – ECW/CCJ/JUD/01/11: …
ECOWAS Court Hears the case on the Social and Economic Impact of Awaiting Trial Case.
Amos Enabulele & Mercy Olaoluwa Olatayo “What was most concerning is the government’s continued failure to account for the social and economic costs of the unwholesome practice of unwarranted awaiting‑trial detention. The government must come to terms with the reality that whenever an economically active individual is detained for a bailable offence — or, worse …
Deep-Sea Bed Minerals: What Hope for Developing and Small Island States?
Amos O Enabulele* March 27, 2026, marked the anniversary of the announcement by The Metals Company (TMC) to apply for permits under existing U.S. mining legislation for deep-sea minerals in the high seas. In the announcement made on 27 March, 2025, TMC stated that it will apply for the permit in the second quarter of …
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ALEX NAIN SAAM MORAN v REPUBLIC OF CAPE VERDE (ECW/CCJ/RUL/07/20)
Mmesomachukwu Cynthia Ndubueze-Nduka* Introduction This case review examines the judgment of the Community Court of Justice of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS Court) in Alex Nain Saab Moran v. Republic of Cape Verde, delivered in 2020. The decision is significant for several reasons. First, it clarifies the legal status of INTERPOL Red …
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A REVIEW OF KASSOUM COULUBALY KASSOUM V. ECOWAS COMMISSION, Application No: ECW/CCJ/APP/24/24. Judgment No: ECW/CCJ/JUD/46/25
Eshiozemhe Emmanuel* INTRODUCTION The Kassoum Coulibaly v. ECOWAS case clarifies employment status for ECOWAS contract staff, internal discretion, and military affiliation impacts in civil service. The applicant, a Burkina Faso military officer, challenged the refusal to convert his contract to permanent, citing Council recommendations and human rights violations under the African Charter. The case clarifies …
A REVIEW OF PROF. NAZIFI ABDULLAHI DARMA V. PRESIDENT OF ECOWAS COMMISSION, Application No. ECW/CCJ/APP/54/25. Ruling No ECW/CCJ/RUL/05/25
Eshiozemhe Emmanuel* INTRODUCTION The case of Prof. Nazifi Abdullahi Darma v. President of the ECOWAS Commission highlights a major institutional dispute involving administrative measures against a Commissioner. The Applicant challenged the legality of memoranda revoking his functions, claiming they were ultra vires, retaliatory, and contrary to ECOWAS rules. The dispute concerns power distribution, the status …
THE ROLE OF STATE CONSENT IN INTERNATIONAL LAW AND THE US STRIKES ON NIGERIAN SOIL.
BY PROF. M.T LADAN* 1. CONTEXT:- The December 25, 2025, U.S. airstrikes in Sokoto were officially framed by both nations as a collaborative counter-terrorism effort with Nigerian government consent, which is central to the legal analysis of territorial sovereignty The core legal debate under international law and Nigerian constitutional law revolves around whether genuine, constitutionally-compliant …
Observations of the Centre for Community Law on the United States Christmas Day Military Action in Nigeria
Whereas: For over 15 years, civilians in Nigeria have faced multiple security threats and atrocity risks due to attacks, kidnappings and extortion by various non-state armed groups. According to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, the security situation has resulted in a humanitarian emergency, with more than 7.8 million people – approximately …
The State of Exploration of the “Seabed and Subsoil Beyond National Jurisdiction”
One of the innovations of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea 1982, (UNCLOS) is the designation of a zone of the seabed and subsoil as the common heritage of mankind for the purpose of equitable sharing of the resources of the zone. As a result, no State is allowed to assert …
Republic of Niger & Seven others & Ors v. The Authority of Heads of State and Government, ECOWAS & Ors Application No. ECW/CCJ/APP/34/23: Matters Arising
Facts This Application was brought by eighth Applicants: the Republic of Niger; Dr Fatimata Moussa, a national of the Republic of Niger resident in Niamey; la Societe Nigeriene d’Electricite, a semi-public limited company in Niamey, Niger; la Chambre de Commerce et d’Industrie du Niger (Niger Chamber of Commerce and Industry) a professional body in Niger; Le Conseil des Users des …