The Leader of Ilana Omo Oodua, Emeritus Professor Banji Akintoye; Yoruba Nation Agitator, Sunday Adeyemo also known as Igboho, alongside 49 other agitators have filed a 27-page petition before the International Criminal Court (ICC).
In the petition, Akintoye and Igboho accused the Nigerian authorities of genocide and crimes against the Southwestern part of Nigeria.
The 27-page petition which was submitted at the ICC by an International Lawyer, Aderemilekun Omojola, Esq, alleged the Nigerian authorities 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 at bringing about physical destruction in whole or in part.
This is coming few days after the operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) raided the residence of Igboho located in Soka area of Ibadan, Oyo State.
During the raid, the operatives arrested 13 persons, while arms, ammunition, charms among other items, were recovered from the house.
The Yoruba Nation activists filed the petition against 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 include; 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.
According to a statement by Communications Manager to Akintoye, Maxwell Adeleye, those who signed the petition with Akintoye and Igboho include: 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.
Meanwhile, the ICC has acknowledged the 27-page petition filed by Yoruba Nation agitators against Buhari, Malami, and others.
The ICC’s Head of Information and Evidence Unit of the Office of the Prosecutor, Mr. Mark P. Dilon, in a letter addressed to the petitioners’ lawyer, acknowledged that the commission has received the petition and will commence investigation immediately.
The letter reads, “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.”
