Why Nigerian victims of slavery cannot sue Libya, by Falana

•fed government entreated to simply accept african court’s jurisdiction

lagos lawyer femi falana (san) yesterday defined why it is going to be not possible for aggrieved nigerians, who are sufferers of slavery to sue the libyan government.

he explained that the federal government is yet to deposit its announcement accepting the jurisdiction of african courtroom on human and peoples rights at the courtroom’s registry in arusa, tanzania.

falana gave the federal government until december 31 to deposit its statement accepting the courtroom’s jurisdiction.



he stated: “if this request isn't granted earlier than december 31, 2017, i will now not hesitate to technique the federal excessive court for an order of mandamus to compel the federal authorities to deposit the announcement at the registry of the african court docket that allows you to empowering nigerian residents to comfy the enforcement of their human rights within the african court on human and peoples’ rights”.

the senior lawyer stated this the day past in a assertion in lagos titled: “why nigerian victims of slavery can not sue libya”.

falana said until authorities deposits its assertion with the registry of the african courtroom, it will be impossible for aggrieved nigerians who are victims of slavery to sue the libyan authorities.

the activist, but, cautioned government to demand for charge of economic damages with the aid of the libyan government to the victims in view of the records and occasions of the illegal human trafficking in libya.

noting that libya has no longer officially customary the jurisdictional competence of the african court, falana contended that the victims of the unlawful slave alternate may want to have submitted a petition to the african fee on human and peoples rights and thereafter practice that the verbal exchange be noted the african court docket on human and peoples rights for judicial dedication.

the senior legal professional, who admitted that there was not anything to prove that libyan authorities has been concerned inside the illicit alternate, contended that the government become in charge attributable to its failure to slash the alternate in slaved, which he described as crime in opposition to humanity.



further to the demand for fee of reimbursement to the sufferers of the unlawful slave alternate in libya, falana counseled the federal authorities to take pressing steps to facilitate get entry to to the african court on human and peoples rights by means of aggrieved nigerian residents and non-governmental firms via depositing the assertion accepting the jurisdiction of the court docket.

he said this is in pursuant to article 1 of the african constitution on human and peoples rights, which imposed a obligation at the government of nigeria to realize the rights, responsibilities and freedoms enshrined within the charter and adopt to adopt legislative or different measures to present effect to them.

falana referred to that during the last two decades, his regulation office has been inundated with court cases from nigerians who had been brutalised in a few african countries. falana defined that some of the court cases pertain to the barbaric killing of 18 nigerians in the course of an armed invasion of the nigerian embassy in guinea bissau on october eight, 2013.

in keeping with him, it's miles not unusual knowledge that nigerians residing in south africa have been subjected to xenophobic attacks, that have caused lack of lives and destruction of residences on several activities at the same time as other nigerian have been brutalised or killed gruesomely in a few other african international locations.

he stated that of new, there were reports of young ladies and men who had been killed in north africa at the same time as crossing the sahara wilderness and the mediterranean sea on their way to european countries for greener pastures.

falana said within the procedure of such journeys, a number of the travelers had been captured and sold into slavery in libya.

he noted that federal authorities has ordered the evacuation of lots of nigerian youths held in infamous slave camps in libya.

he introduced that nigeria has itself guilty for the tragedy in libya for blindly assisting “the unlawful resolution of the united international locations protection council which accepted the invasion of libya to effect a regime exchange”.

“these days, now not less than 5 armed gangs are laying claim to the management of the u . s .. it has been showed that the fingers and ammunition looted from the armory in libya have been bought to the scary boko haram sect. it's also true that the shameful slave trade which nigeria is struggling with with is a part of the fallout from the removal and brutal killing of president muammar gaddafi by using armed gangs supported by means of the allied forces of imperialism led by means of the usa under president barrack obama,” he stated.