Slave Trade: Why Nigerians cannot sue Libya government – Falana

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”.