Femi Falana (SAN) on Sunday explained why it will be impossible for
aggrieved Nigerians, who are victims of slavery to sue the Libyan
government.
He explained that unless the government deposits its declaration with
the registry of the African Court on Human and Peoples Rights at the
court’s registry in Arusa, Tanzania, it will be impossible for aggrieved
Nigerians who are victims of slavery to sue the Libyan government.
Falana, however, gave the Federal Government till December 31 to deposit its declaration accepting the court’s jurisdiction.
He said: “If this request is not granted before December 31, 2017, I
will not hesitate to approach the Federal High Court for an order of
mandamus to compel the Federal Government to deposit the declaration at
the registry of the African Court with a view to empowering Nigerian
citizens to secure the enforcement of their human rights in the African
Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights.”
“The government should demand for payment of monetary damages by the
Libyan government to the victims in view of the facts and circumstances
of the illegal human trafficking in Libya.
“Libya has not formally accepted the jurisdictional competence of the
African Court, unless victims of the illegal slave trade could have
submitted a petition to the African Commission on Human and Peoples
Rights” he said.
Falana noted that over the past 20 years, his law office had been
inundated with complaints from Nigerians who were brutalised in some
African countries.
He added that Nigeria had itself to blame for the tragedy in Libya
for blindly supporting “the illegal resolution of the United Nations
Security Council which authorised the invasion of Libya to effect a
regime change”.