ICC ACKNOWLEDGES PETITION BY AGITATORS FOR YORUBA NATION

15/07/21

DANIELS G.O

The International Criminal Court, has acknowledged a 27-page petition filed by Yoruba Nation agitators, against President Mohammadu Buhari the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, former Chief of Army Staff, Tukur Buratai, and former Inspectors General of Police, Ibrahim Idris and Muhammed Adamu.

On Tuesday, the petition was signed by the Leader of Ilana Omo Oodua, Emeritus Professor Banji Akintoye, a Yoruba Activist, Sunday Adeyemo also known as Sunday Igboho, and 49 other Yoruba Self-Determination Groups.

In the petition, the Yoruba Nation agitators accused the Nigerian leaders and security chiefs of genocide and crimes against humanity against the Yoruba people of Ekiti, Oyo, Osun, Ondo, Ogun, Okun Land in Kogi, and Kwara states respectively.

The 27-page petition accused President Buhari, Malami, Buratai, and others of Genocide offences such as killing members of the petitioners group, deliberately inflicting on the group conditions of life.

Akintoye, in a statement by his Communications Manager, Maxwell Adeleye, stated that the Yoruba people must now move forward to accomplish our Yoruba nation’s self-determination by holding a referendum towards separating from Nigeria.

In a copy of the petition the petitioners claimed that there are ongoing violations of Human Rights in Nigeria, as expressed specifically in the Rome Statute, being perpetrated against the Yoruba People, particularly genocide under Article 6, and Crimes Against Humanity under Article 7, of the Rome Statute.

The petitioners therefore urged the Prosecutor, on the grounds that Nigeria is a state party to the Rome Statute, pursuant to Article 12.1, partaining to the precondition to the Court’s exercise of jurisdiction, to act pursuant to Article 15.2, and 1.53 and initiate the Court’s investigation process and also exercise its jurisdiction, pursuant to Article 13(c).

Others who signed the petition with Akintoye and Ighoho are Imam of Yoruba in Ilorin, Kwara State, Shielk Raheem Aduranigba, Leader of Obinrin Agbaye, Chief Simisade Kuku, Leader of Yoruba Strategy Alliance, Babatunde Omololu, and 45 others.

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, Comptroller-General of the Nigerian Immigration Services, Mohammed Babandede and the Commandant-General of NSCDC, Abdulahi Muhammadu.