President Muhammadu Buhari is expected to face charges in the ECOWAS court for failing to protect the victims of the Abuja-Kaduna train attack's rights to life, security, and dignity.
They will also face charges for failing to ensure the safe release of individuals taken prisoner by terrorists.
The latest legal action against the government is being spearheaded by the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP).
The action was filed in the ECOWAS Court of Justice in Abuja last week.
Terrorists attacked the AK9 Abuja–Kaduna train on March 28, killing at least nine people, injuring dozens more, and kidnapping an unknown number of passengers.
Despite numerous requests, the victims remained with the terrorists for a month.
Following claims that the Federal Executive Council (FEC) had failed to authorize funds for surveillance equipment that could have prevented the train attack, the action was filed."
A declaration that the train attacks, abductions, and killings of passengers by terrorists amount to a failure by the government to safeguard Nigerians and to prevent these grave human rights crimes. According to SERAP, "an
order requiring the Buhari government to safeguard, promote, and fulfill the human rights of Nigerians, especially travelers across the country, by maintaining adequate security and taking measures to prevent attacks," was issued.
"An order instructing the Buhari government to find and identify all the passengers, victims, and their families as soon as possible, and to provide adequate monetary compensation," SERAP said. In a lawsuit filed with an application for expedited hearing, SERAP claims that "the
Buhari administration has a legal duty to protect citizens from genuine and immediate risks to their lives and security caused by the actions of third-parties such as terrorists." According to SERAP, "a
key principle of contemporary human rights legislation is that victims of abuses, including those killed in the Abuja-Kaduna train incident, have an independent right to effective remedies." Without remedies, rights are ineffective, making the government's duty to defend them illusory. "