The Socio-Financial Rights and Accountability Challenge and 16 different Nigerians have filed a lawsuit in opposition to the regime of President Main Basic Muhammadu Buhari (ret.) for “failing to research illicit pipeline actions between 2001 and 2022”.
This follows the invention of at the least 58 illicit pipelines used to loot the nation’s oil revenues.
In accordance with a press release obtained by the punch“The theft is reported to be carried out by means of the illicit pipeline linked to the trunk line by way of an deserted pipeline and linked to an offshore location, the place they load crude oil onto vessels and promote it overseas.”
The lawsuit, ECW/CCJ/APP/53/22, was filed final Friday on the ECOWAS Court docket of Justice in Abuja by SERAP Chief Eric Dooh (who’s suing himself as a frontrunner of the Goi neighborhood within the Space Gokana Native Authorities of Rivers State and on behalf of the Goi neighborhood), and 15 different involved Nigerians.
The plaintiffs argue that the Buhari regime is failing in its worldwide authorized obligations to make sure that the nation’s oil wealth is used solely for the good thing about Nigerians and that the wealth doesn’t find yourself in non-public pockets.
The swimsuit said: “Regardless of the nation’s substantial oil wealth, successive governments have largely squandered the chance to make use of the wealth to enhance the lives and well-being of bizarre Nigerians.”
They argued that the unlawful pipelines had been operated for a few years with out prior discover, in flagrant violation of worldwide human rights obligations to make sure correct, efficient, and environment friendly administration of the nation’s wealth and pure assets.
The claimants requested the ECOWAS courtroom for some cures, which included “a declaration that everybody within the Niger Delta is entitled to the internationally acknowledged human proper to an satisfactory way of life.”
“An order ordering the defendant to pay satisfactory financial compensation of $500 million ($500,000,000.00) to the victims of those crimes and human rights violations inside the Niger Delta area and every other type of reparation that the honorable courtroom deems satisfactory to grant”, they mentioned. extra.