ICC dismisses petition seeking to probe cases of kidnappings in Nigeria
The International Criminal Court (ICC) has dismissed a petition seeking an investigation into Nigeria over alleged crimes against humanity, the Federal Government has said.
The petition, titled Formal Communication Requesting Investigation into Systemic Kidnappings in Nigeria as Crimes Against Humanity, was reportedly submitted anonymously and assigned document number ICC-RoC46(3)-01/26.
In a statement on Thursday, Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, said the ICC’s Pre-Trial Chamber II dismissed the petition on September 1, describing it as procedurally defective and lacking a legal basis.
Fagbemi said the petition was initially assigned to the chamber on August 26 following what he described as an improper administrative process involving an unverified filing by an unknown submitter.
According to him, the chamber, comprising Judges Rosario Salvatore Aitala, Sergio Gerardo Ugalde Godínez and Haykel Ben Mahfoudh, subsequently dismissed the request in limine, meaning at the threshold stage.
While welcoming the dismissal, the Attorney-General expressed concern over the initial handling of the petition and urged the relevant organs of the ICC to adhere strictly to established procedures.
He argued that the processing of an anonymous and unverified communication risked undermining confidence in the Court’s judicial processes.
“The Federal Government observes with serious concern that the initial processing of this anonymous communication unusually bypassed established legal channels,” Fagbemi said.
