Nigerian journalist and founder of The Africa Views YouTube channel, Mr. Mathew Ojoduma, who was arrested in the Republic of Benin and detained for over 10 months, has filed a suit against the country at the ECOWAS Court of Justice in Abuja, claiming U.S.$500,000 (about N685 million) for alleged arbitrary detention and other violations of his rights.
Mr. Ojoduma, who is asking the Court to urgently intervene in the matter to remedy alleged multiple violations of his fundamental human rights by Benin Republic, is contending that the actions of the authorities in that country constituted arbitrary detention, violations of the right to liberty, violation of the right to dignity, violation of the right to a fair trial and disregard for the rule of law under the African Charter on Human and Peoples Rights (ACHPR).
The journalist, who was reportedly arrested at the Porga border crossing as he was traveling to Ouagadougou in Burkina Faso in January 2025 on allegations of belonging to a terrorist organization, told Media Rights Agenda that the charge against him was dismissed by the Cour de Répression des Infractions Économiques et du Terrorisme (CRIET), the competent judicial authority in Benin Republic, and he was released from the Abomey-Catavi Prison in November 2025.
He said in his court processes that his initial arrest and pre-trial detention were based solely on the allegations of belonging to a terrorist organization and that, although CRIET subsequently delivered a ruling that removed the legal basis for the terrorism charge, he remained in custody. He is arguing that every subsequent day of detention after that ruling constituted arbitrary imprisonment, contrary to Article 6 of the ACHPR.
The journalist also accused the Beninois authorities of suppressing and disregarding exculpatory evidence, based on his claim that on April 28, 2025, the investigative services of Benin Republic presented a Forensic Investigation Report, which analyzed his electronic devices and the report confirmed that his digital activity aligned fully with his profession as a journalist and Youtube content creator and that there was no evidence linking him to any terrorist entity or activity.
According to him, CRIET ignored the core forensic finding and the complete absence of any terrorism link and refused to release the original report.
The journalist is claiming that the failure of the authorities to act on their own evidence amounted to bad faith and constituted a serious violation of Article 6 of the ACHPR.
He said he travelled legally through the Porga border crossing using his valid and duly stamped ECOWAS passport, fully complying with regional mobility requirements and that his lawful and transparent travel is inconsistent with any suggestion of clandestine or criminal intent and further demonstrates the arbitrariness of the authorities in Benin Republic.
Mr. Ojoduma accused Benin Republic of violating his right to presumption of innocence as suspicion cannot justify his prolonged detention, especially since the authorities relied on a non-surveillance mini-drone, ordinary journalism equipment, which he was carrying, and lawful ECOWAS travel using a stamped passport. He stressed that none of these elements established a terrorist intent.
He is therefore praying the Court, among other things, to declare that his detention is illegal and violates Articles 5, 6, and 7 of the ACHPR; order the payment of adequate compensation to him for his unlawful detention, psychological suffering, and reputational harm; and declare that placing him among high-risk terrorist suspects violates Article 5 of the ACHPR.
Justifying his monetary claim, the journalist said he is seeking compensation under Article 9(4) of the ECOWAS Court Protocol, as he has suffered 10 months of illegal detention; violations of Articles 14 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) and 7 of the ACHPR; false terrorism accusations causing lasting stigma; destruction and censorship of his Africa Views Platform; loss of income and long-term career damage; and psychological distress, trauma, and loss of dignity.
He is therefore claiming material damages based on lost income, disrupted professional growth, and documented revenue projections for similar media platforms, which he estimated at US$200,000, as well as moral damages, “given the severity of the false terrorism allegation and its impact on his dignity, reputation, and mental health,” and estimates the amount of this at US$300,000.
Mr. Ojoduma is therefore claiming a total of US$500,000 or its equivalent of 300 million FCFA.
