International Criminal Court acknowledges Yoruba Nation agitators’ petition

A 27-page petition filed by some Yoruba Nation agitators has been acknowledged by the International Criminal Court (ICC).

Online news portal, Eko Blogsport reports that the Leader of Ilana Omo Oodua, Emeritus Professor Banji Akintoye; Yoruba Activist, Sunday Adeyemo popularly known as Sunday Igboho; and other 49 Yoruba Self-Determination Groups signed the petition.

The online platform stated the petition was filed against President Muhammadu Buhari, the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami, SAN; former Chief of Army Staff, Tukur Buratai; and former Inspectors General of Police (IGP), Ibrahim Idris and Muhammed Adamu.

The petitioners accused the government and the security chiefs of genocide and crimes against humanity against the members of the secessionist groups spread across Ekiti, Oyo, Osun, Ondo, Ogun, Okun Land in Kogi, and Kwara states respectively.

A letter to the petitioners’ lawyer by the ICC’s Head of Information and Evidence Unit of the Office of the Prosecutor, Mr. Mark P. Dilon, read, “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.

“As soon as a decision is reached to formally commence investigation into this petition, we will inform you, in writing, and provide you, with reasons for this decision.”

According to PUNCH, the 27-page petition accused Buhari, Malami, Buratai and others of Genocide offences such as killing members of the petitioners group; causing serious bodily or mental harm to members of the group; deliberately inflicting on the group conditions of life calculated to bring about physical destruction in whole or in part.

Others who signed the petition with Akintoye and Ighoho are Imam of Yoruba in Ilorin, Kwara State, Shielk Raheem Aduranigba; Leader of Obinrin Oodua Agbaye, Chief Simisade Kuku; Leader of Yoruba Strategy Alliance, Babatunde Omololu; General Secretary of Ilana Omo Oodua, George Akinola, and 44 others, The Punch reports.

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 Commandant-General of NSCDC, Abdulahi Gana Muhammadu.