The Federal Government have opposed the application of a suit by a Nigerian, Richard Ugbah, asking the court to order the United States of America government to allow him to complete his jail sentence in Nigeria.
According to The PUNCH, the ECOWAS Court of Justice, on Thursday, had previously dismissed the suit filed by Ugbah.
Ugbah, currently serving a 12-year prison sentence in the US for wire fraud since his conviction on February 14, 2017, has completed eight years of his term and is scheduled for release on May 8, 2026.
In a suit marked: ECW/CCJ/ APP/ 18/21, Ugbah petitioned the court to facilitate his repatriation to Nigeria, citing fulfillment of conditions for transfer outlined in the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime Handbook on the International Transfer of Sentenced Persons.
However, the Federal Republic of Nigeria raised a preliminary objection, arguing that the application was flawed and contrary to the provisions of Articles 9 and 10 of the Supplementary Protocol.
The government contended that the Ministry of Justice, as the second respondent, was neither a community institution nor a signatory to the ECOWAS Treaty.
It urged the court to dismiss the application, emphasizing the lack of jurisdiction to entertain the matter.
Justice Sengu Koroma, delivering the lead judgment, declared that the court lacked jurisdiction to adjudicate the case.
The court further stated that the applicant failed to present a valid reason supporting their complaint against the respondent.
