Buhari Dragged To International Criminal Court Over Inaction Against Killings By Herdsmen

The Democracy Vanguard of Nigerians in the Diaspora (DVND) on Monday dragged President Muhammadu Buhari to the international criminal court (ICC) over his alleged inaction to curtail killings of citizens in the country by Fulani Herdsmen.

The group, who also accused security agencies of complicity claimed that President Buhari could not be exonerated from the ongoing killings by herdsmen across the country.

In a petition dated July 17, 2019, titled: Acts of Genocide and Crimes Against Humanity in Nigeria, addressed to ICC’s Special Prosecutor in the Hague by its president, Mr. Timothy Sule, alleged that crimes committed by the herders fall within the jurisdiction of the ICC, it sought an independent investigation into the killings with a view to trying and punishing the perpetrators.

“As a group, we are tired of the endless carnage going on in Nigeria and we feel very strongly that the Government of President Muhammadu Buhari cannot be exonerated from the ongoing continuous perpetuation of the pogrom against a people of a religion and ethnic configuration,” the petition reads.

“As you already know Sir, Nigeria is a State Party to the Rome Statute, the ICC has jurisdiction over war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide committed on the territory of Nigeria or by its nationals from July 1st 2002.

“Having concluded that some of the alleged crimes committed in the Nigeria situation fall within the subject-matter jurisdiction of the ICC, the Office of the Special Prosecutor is vehemently urged to carry independent investigations of constant killings with a view to trying and punishing the culprits.

“Sir, we call on your esteemed office to as a matter of urgency set up a committee to carry out relevant assessment and investigation of the contemporary national security issues in conformity with the ICC’s principle of complementarity.

“Currently, rising conflict between herders and farmers in Nigeria is already 10 times deadlier now than Boko Haram’s insurgency. This is certainly a cause for worry.

“In December of 2015, the Nigerian army under the command of the Chief of Army Staff Lt. Gen. Tukur Yusuf Buratai led the mass killing of hundreds of minority Shiites Muslims in the Northern State of Kaduna in Zaria town.

“According to the self-given testimony of the Kaduna State Government, at least 350 bodies of victims of the brutal army massacre were secretly buried in a mass grave at Mando, a suburb town in Kaduna State.

“The Federal government of Nigeria has refused, neglected, declined to stop the bloodshed, improve security; end impunity and or even retire the Army Chief and or investigate him and all other members of the Nigerian security services at all levels implicated in this unconscionable unleashing of terror by the Nigerian army and police on the citizens of Nigeria as demanded by Nigerians of goodwill”, the group stated.