Salome Acheju Abu
In a landmark ruling, the ECOWAS Court of Justice has rejected a legal challenge by the Kogi State Government, reaffirming its 2022 judgment which held the Nigerian government accountable for the brutal killing of Mrs. Salome Acheju Abuh, a local politician burned alive during the 2019 elections.
Delivering judgment on Friday, Justice Edward Amoako maintained that the government failed in its duty to protect Abuh’s right to life, either by preventing the attack or by prosecuting the perpetrators. The court upheld the previous ruling and awarded ₦10 million in damages to her family.
Mrs. Abuh was killed in Ochadamu, Kogi State, when political thugs, angered by her support for an opposition party, set her house on fire. Her death shocked the nation and came to symbolize the deadly consequences of electoral violence in Nigeria.
In its failed counterapplication, the Kogi State Government accused Abuh’s legal team of misleading the court and claimed reputational damage, yet failed to appear to defend its claims. “Their absence was not silence—it was a tactic,” said Barrister Daniel Makolo, counsel to the Abuh family.
While welcoming the verdict, Makolo criticized the compensation as inadequate. “Justice was never about the money. It was about truth, memory, and the right of every Nigerian to live without fear.”
Human rights advocates lauded the decision as a powerful precedent in holding governments accountable for political violence. Makolo urged the Attorney General of the Federation to ensure immediate enforcement of the ruling.
“You cannot kill the truth with fire,” he said. “And you cannot silence justice with shame.”