ECOWAS COURT HEARS URGENT HUMAN RIGHTS PETITION OVER ALLEGED DETENTION, JUDICIAL SABOTAGE IN DELTA

The ECOWAS Court of Justice sitting in Abuja is hearing a high-profile human rights case brought by child rights advocate and whistleblower, Comrade Ighorhiohwunu Aghogho, against the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
The case, filed on June 19, 2025, and registered as Suit No: ECW/CCJ/APP/28/25, seeks urgent intervention over Aghogho’s alleged unlawful detention and reprisals following his exposure of systemic child trafficking in Delta State. The petition, filed by his legal counsel Andrew N. Elekeokwuri, invokes multiple human rights instruments including the African Charter, ICCPR, Nigeria’s Constitution, and the ECOWAS Court Protocol.
According to Aghogho, despite being granted bail by the Federal High Court in Warri on March 21, 2024, he was remanded again on June 16, 2025, under suspicious circumstances. He alleges that his re-arrest was orchestrated in retaliation for exposing irregularities in Delta State’s adoption system.
Among the disturbing allegations are claims of judicial tampering involving a forged letter inserted into court records to discredit his surety, bribery involving a court official, and a covert meeting between a sitting judge and a prosecution witness—all of which Aghogho says undermined his right to a fair trial.
He further claims that his bail was revoked after a news report was published using public court documents, which authorities alleged he leaked—an accusation he denies. Aghogho also alerted the court to a credible assassination threat while in detention and has petitioned the National Judicial Council over the alleged misconduct.
He is seeking immediate release, protection from further harm, and a restraining order against further acts of intimidation or manipulation by state agents. The suit includes supporting documents such as a forged court letter, court filings, and a petition to the NJC.
In a broader suit filed earlier in June, Aghogho is also challenging the constitutionality of Delta’s Child Rights (Amendment) Law, 2024, which he claims retroactively legalizes decades of illegal adoptions. He is demanding $100 million in damages and a multi-agency probe into child trafficking in Delta State from 1991 to 2022.
Legal observers say the case could become a landmark for whistleblower protection and judicial accountability in West Africa.