A group of concerned citizens has called on the International Criminal Court (ICC) to prosecute the Nigerian President, Muhammadu Buhari, and the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Godwin Emefiele, for crimes against humanity.
The group, known as the Global Coalition for Security and Democracy in Nigeria, submitted a petition to the ICC in The Hague, Netherlands, accusing the Nigerian government of genocide, torture, and arbitrary detention of citizens.
In a press statement released on Tuesday, the group highlighted the government’s alleged human rights violations, which they claimed had resulted in the deaths of innocent Nigerians.
“Under the Buhari administration, there has been a sharp increase in extrajudicial killings, enforced disappearances, and torture of those perceived to be political opponents. The CBN, under Emefiele’s leadership, has also restricted access to funds, causing widespread economic hardship and suffering for the Nigerian people,” the statement read.
The group further accused the government of failing to protect citizens from Boko Haram terrorists, who have killed and displaced thousands of people in the northern region of the country.
“The Nigerian government has shown itself to be incapable of protecting its citizens and upholding the rule of law. We believe that the ICC should hold Buhari and Emefiele accountable for their crimes against humanity,” the group said.
This is not the first time that the ICC has been petitioned to investigate human rights abuses in Nigeria. In 2018, the ICC Prosecutor, Fatou Bensouda, announced that she would conduct a preliminary investigation into the alleged violations committed by Boko Haram and the Nigerian security forces.
However, the Nigerian government has strongly criticized the ICC, accusing it of bias against African countries. In 2016, Nigeria withdrew its signature from the Rome Statute, which established the ICC, but the withdrawal did not take effect until 2019.
The Global Coalition for Security and Democracy in Nigeria has called on the ICC to ignore the Nigerian government’s objections and investigate the alleged crimes committed by Buhari and Emefiele.
“We urge the ICC to act swiftly to bring those responsible for these heinous crimes to justice. The people of Nigeria deserve no less,” the group concluded.
