The Leader of Ilana Omo Oodua, Emeritus Professor Banji Akintoye; Yoruba Nation Agitator Sunday Adeyemo aka Sunday Igboho and other 49 Yoruba Self-Determination groups have filed a 27-page petition before the International Criminal Court (ICC).
Several leaders of Yoruba Self-Determination groups appended their signatures on the petition sighted by The Nation.
The Nation learnt the petition was submitted at the ICC on behalf of Yourba leaders by an International Lawyer, Aderemilekun Omojola, Esq.
In the petition, some Nigerian leaders were accused of genocide and crimes against humanity against the Yoruba People of Ekiti, Oyo, Osun, Ondo, Ogun, Okun Land in Kogi, and Kwara States respectively.
Those dragged before the ICC are President Muhammadu Buhari; Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation Abubakar Malami; former Chief of Army Staff Tukur Buratai and former Inspectors General of Police, Ibrahim Idris and Muhammed Adamu.
Others petitioned are Comptroller General of Customs, Hammid Alli; Inspector General of Police, Alkali Baba; Chief of Army Staff, Farouk Yahaya; former Chief of Air Force, Sadiq Abubakar; former Commandant-General of NSCDC, Ahmed Abubakar Audi, Comptroller-General of the Nigerian Immigration Services, Mohammed Babandede and the Current Commandant-General of NSCDC, Abdulahi Gana Muhammadu.
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.
The ICC has has formally acknowledged receipt of the petition.
According to a statement by Communications Manager to Akintoye, Maxwell Adeleye, that those who signed the petition with Akintoye and Igboho were Chief 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, Arc. George Akinola, and 44 others.
In a letter to the petitioners’ Lawyer, the ICC’s Head of Information and Evidence Unit of the Office of the Prosecutor, Mr. Mark P. Dilon, wrote: “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.
“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,” the letter reads.
