Group threatens to drag perpetrators of herdsmen/farmers crisis to ICC
- A group has threatened to expose the perpetrators of the herders/farmers crisis across the country
- According to the civil society organisation, the conflicts between the herders and the farmers had a political undertone
- It also threatened to drag the perpetrators of the killings to the International Criminal Court
A civil society organisation has threatened to drag the perpetrators of the herdsmen/farmers crisis across Nigeria to the International Criminal Court (ICC).
The organisation, Save Humanity Advocacy Centre (SHAC), condemned the alleged ongoing politically masterminded killings in Nigeria.
The group, while threatening to drag those behind the bloodletting in the country to the ICC said, the endless clashes between herders and farmers, which has led to loss of lives and valuables worth millions of naira had political undertone.
SHAC lamented that some individuals and organisations have taken the laws into their hands by inciting political violence in innocent and harmless Nigerian citizens.
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A statement signed by Adams Odoh, the executive director of SHAC said that there are overwhelming facts to show that some individuals and organisations are taking advantage of the ethnic and religious fragility of Nigeria to sow seeds of hate and discord to achieve political goals.
Odoh said: “This act of impunity, this rampage of impunity must be stopped in the interest of the continued existence of Nigeria and by extension the African continent because of the strategic role Nigeria plays in the political and economic stabilisation of the African continent.
“As a first, the ICC has the jurisdiction to prosecute individuals for the international crimes of genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes.
"The question we therefore seek to ask the ICC is whether acts deliberately committed as part of an attack aimed at a specific sect of the population can be considered as a crime against humanity? And if yes, why hasn’t the ICC deemed it pertinent to commence prosecution of these individuals and organisations? Does Nigeria not fall under its jurisdiction? Some of these questions we demand answers to in the interest of peace and stability.
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“Having stated the above, we are in unequivocal terms requesting for an immediate investigation on the sponsors of politically motivated killings in Nigeria, and also scrutiny of the various petitions that have been submitted to the ICC in recent times.
"As a background, we are aware that petitions have been lodged against some governors who have instigated attacked aimed at a specific sect of the population in their states. For example, the governors of Taraba and the Benue States are culpable in this regard, despite the “we are the victims” public posturing that they have embraced to cover for their nefarious activities.
"Some other individuals that are supposed to conduct themselves as elder statesmen like General T.Y. Danjuma, have also constituted themselves into that clog in the wheels of progress in the country by directly and indirectly inciting the people to take up arms against a particular sect in the society.
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“We are worried that no single individual has been called for questioning despite overwhelming pieces of evidences before the ICC," Odoh noted.
Meanwhile, Legit.ng previously reported that herdsmen and farmers in Mashegu local government area of Niger state have signed a peace agreement. The agreement is aimed at ending the clashes between the herders and farmers across Nigeria.
Abdullahi Babayo, the director-general of nomadic affairs agency in the state, said the aim of the meeting was also to reconcile communities that were affected by farmers/herdsmen crisis in the area.
Southern Kaduna killings: part 1 on Legit.ng TV
Source: Legit.ng
