The Court of Justice of the Economic Community of West African States presided over by Justice Wilkins Wright, has ordered the Federal Government to pay a domestic violence victim, Mary Sunday, the sum of N50m as compensation for her pains.
While handing down the judgment in Abuja, the regional court said that the government failed to investigate the matter when it happened and also provide the lady access to justice as guaranteed under the law.
The Court however, found Nigeria not to be in violation of her right to freedom from discrimination and gender-based violence.
The case was filed before the ECOWAS Court in August 2015 by the Women Advocates Research and Documentation Centre and the Institute for Human Rights and Development in Africa on behalf of Sunday.
It would be recalled that the woman had a heated argument with her fiancé, Isaac Gbanwuan, a policeman, in 2012 where she was brutally beaten and poured a boiling pot of stew by him.
Sunday suffered extreme burns, lost her ears, has not been able work or walk freely on the streets as a result of the attack.
Following the verdict, Mary, who could not hold back her emotions, said,
“I have suffered so much pain since the incident happened, and never knew I would obtain justice someday.”
Emeh Achanga,the CEO of the Miss Petite Nigeria Brand is a lawyer turned blogger. She is very passionate about writing, with several publications and awards to her credit .She is currently working on publishing a collection of short stories which are basically a memoir about her exciting true experiences.
Good judgement, the best news I have seen in recent time.