Igboho, Akintoye, 49 Yoruba groups petition Buhari, Malami, at ICC, allege genocide

Self-styled Yoruba Nation activist and freedom fighter, Sunday Igboho, leader of Ilana Omo Oodua, Prof Banji Akintoye, and 49 Yoruba self-determination groups have filed a petition at the International Criminal Court (ICC) against President Muhammadu Buhari and the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami (SAN), over killings and ‘genicide’ allegedly perpetrated against the South-West.

Also mentioned in the petition were former Chief of Army Staff, Tukur Buratai and former Inspectors General of Police, Ibrahim Idris and Muhammed Adamu, respectively.

Other government officials petitioned are Comptroller General of Customs, Hammid Alli, Inspector General of Police, Alkali Baba, Chief of Army Staff, Farouk Yahaya, former Chief of Airforce, Sadiq Abubakar, former Commandant-General of NSCDC, Ahmed Abubakar Audi, Comptroller-General of the Nigerian Immigration Services, Mohammed Babandede and the Current Commandant-General of NSCDC, Abdulahi Gana Muhammadu.

The ICC Head of Information and Evidence Unit of the Office of the Prosecutor, Mark P. Dilon, acknowledged receipt of the petition on Wednesday and assured that action would be taken “as soon as a decision is reached to formally commence investigation into the petition.”

“This communication has been duly entered in the Communications Register of the Office. We will give consideration to this communication, as appropriate, in accordance with the provisions of the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court.”

The 27-page petition filed on behalf of the groups by their lawyer, Aderemilekun Omojola, and signed by several leaders of the Yoruba groups, accused Buhari and the others of committing genocide and crimes against humanity against the Yoruba people of Ekiti, Oyo, Osun, Ondo, Ogun, Okun Land in Kogi, and Kwara states respectively.

According to a statement by Prof. Akintoye’s Communications Manager, Maxwell Adeleye, and made available to Ripples Nigeria, others who signed the petition are Chief Imam of Yoruba in Ilorin, Shielk Raheem Aduranigba, leader of Obinrin Oodua Agbaye, Chief Simisade Kuku, leader of Yoruba Strategy Alliance, Babatunde Omololu, General Secretary of Ilana Omo Oodua, Arc. George Akinola, and 44 others.