The International Criminal Court (ICC) has acknowledged a 27-page petition filed by Yoruba Nation agitators against President Muhammadu Buhari, 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 Mohammed Adamu.
The petition was signed by the Leader of Ilana Omo Oodua, Banji Akintoye; Yoruba Activist, Sunday Adeyemo popularly known as Sunday Igboho; and 49 othe Yoruba Self-Determination Groups.
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, 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, 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.”
The 27-page petition accused Buhari, Malami, Buratai and others of Genocide offences such as killing members of the petitioners group; causing critical bodily or mental harm to members of the group; consciously imposing 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 Igboho 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.
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.
