Released Date 16^th July, 2018

 

PRESS STATEMENT

 

Nigerian Coalition for the International Criminal Court (NCICC) joins the rest of the world in the commemoration of the 20^th anniversary of the Rome Statute.

 

The Rome Statute which is the founding treaty of the International Criminal Court vested the court with power to exercise jurisdiction over international crimes to wit genocides, crimes against humanity, war crime and crime of aggression. The International Criminal Court has so far recorded 26cases, issued 32 arrest warrants and made verdict in 6cases with 8conviction and 2 acquittals, the most recent being that of Jean-Pierre Bemba Gombo.

 

The NCICC emphasize that in the rise of global violations of humanitarian laws and human right, there is no better time to support the International Criminal Court (ICC) than now. To ensure a more just world, it is important for states to foster cooperation with the ICC by domesticating and implementing the Rome Statute’s provision of complementarity in their national legislation and prosecute international crimes committed within their territory.

 

Despite Nigeria being listed as a preliminary examination country due to the armed conflict between Boko Haram and Nigerian Securities and different crimes committed in the Niger Delta region, the country continues to face more violations of human right and crimes violating international law. It is imperative at this time for Nigerian government to stand up for justice, domesticate the Rome Statute and prosecute these gross and frequent violations.

As President Buhari attends the event of the Rome Statute at 20, we urge the ICC Prosecutor, Fatou Bensouda to engage the president on the continued killing in the North Central and North East region and the non-accountability on the part of the state security.

 

Nigeria though a state party of the International Criminal Court has since the submission of  its instrument of ratification on the 27^th September 2001 fail to domesticate the Rome Statute into its national legislation in accordance with the provision of section 12 of the 1999 Constitution.

 

The NCICC calls on the Nigerian government to join in the fight against impunity and domesticate the Rome Statute and further reiterates the need for the National Assembly to expedite the domestication of the Rome Statute bill which comes up for public hearing on the 18^th of July 2018.

 

Signed

 

Edmund Chinonye Obiagwu

Chair, Nigerian Coalition for the International Criminal Court                                                                                

 

Dr Abiola Akiode -Afolabi

Vice Chair, Nigerian Coalition for the International Criminal Court