Economic Community of West Africa States (ECOWAS) Court in Abuja has ordered the Federal Government to immediately pay the arrears of salaries and other entitlements to 244 soldiers dismissed from the Army in 2016.
The Army dismissed the soldiers after they were accused of abandoning the Boko Haram insurgency fight and fleeing over alleged inadequate provision of arms and ammunition.
The soldiers went before the ECOWAS Court to demand the enforcement of their fundamental human rights, including the right to their salaries and entitlements.
In a May 15th 2019 judgement, the court declared that the process of dismissal of the 244 soldiers is flawed and a violation of their right to work and fair hearing.
In the new ruling, the court on Thursday, delivered a supplementary judgment in which it reviewed the earlier 2019 verdict to include the order for the payment of the dismissed soldiers’ entitlements, which is included in the previous verdict.
A three-man panel of the court presided over by Justice Gberi-Be Ouattara, including Justice Keikura Bangura and Dupe Atoki, therefore ordered the Federal Government to pay all arrears of monthly allowances, salaries and other entitlements of the applicants up to January 2016.
In the judgment which was delivered by Justice Keikura Bangura, the court held that the decision to review the earlier judgment after listening to the parties in the case was arrived at after they considered documents tendered.
Although the Court rejected the soldiers request for an order to direct the Federal Government to reinstate them in the Army, the Court upheld their application that their sack violated their human rights, including right to work and fair hearing.
The soldiers also asked the Court for an order directing the Army to pay their monthly salaries and other allowances from the whole of 2015 and such other months until the date the judgement is enforced.
