A case filed by two non-governmental organizations against Nigeria for the damage caused by the flooding of the Lagdo Dam in 2012 and 2022 was dismissed by the ECOWAS Court.
In order to hold Nigeria responsible for not building a dam in Adamawa to lessen flooding from Cameroon’s Lagdo Dam, the Incorporated Trustees of Prince and Princess Charles Offokaja Foundation, Nigeria, and its Swiss counterpart launched the lawsuit.
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The applicants claimed that negligence on the part of Nigeria caused extensive destruction, fatalities, evictions, and economic upheaval in 14 states.
A dam project, they argued, might have produced energy, supplied irrigation, and lessened the flooding.
Citing incapacity to act, Justice Sengu Koroma rejected the suit in his ruling. While the Nigerian NGO did not fit the requirements for public interest litigation, the Swiss NGO was denied the right to bring a case before the ECOWAS Court.
Although the petitioners mentioned a wide range of victims, Justice Koroma said, “the court is unable to identify specific victims whose rights were allegedly violated.”
A feasibility study conducted in 1982 and a Senate resolution passed in 2024 for the dredging of the Benue and Niger Rivers were among the initiatives that Nigeria’s defense emphasized. According to the administration, it took action to improve collaboration with Cameroon and control flooding.
The case was decided by Justices Edward Asante, Dupe Atoki, and Sengu Koroma.
