*Fani-Kayode, Onanuga, Omokri, Sam Omatseye, others too

The Lagos State Labour Party Governorship Candidate, Architect Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour; his deputy, Princess Abiodun Oyefusi, and 11 others have dragged President Muhammadu Buhari; President-elect, Bola Ahmed Tinubu; Governor of Lagos State, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, and Musiliu Akinsanya, also known as MC Oluomo, to the International Criminal Court (ICC), Hague Netherlands for crimes against humanity. 

Other personalities also dragged before the ICC include Governor Yahaya Bello of Kogi State; spokesman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential Campaign Committee, Femi Fani Kayode; former Managing-Director of News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) and a key spokesman of the APCPCC, Mr. Bayo Onanuga; columnist with the Nation Newspapers, Mr. Sam Omatseye; Otunba Biodun Ajiboye; supporter of Asiwaju Tinubu, Mr. Reno Omokri; Commissioner for Information, Lagos State, Dele Alake and the traditional ruler of Igbara Jakande area in Eti-osa Local Government Area of Lagos State.

Equally joined to be investigated include the leaders of the APC, Inspector-General of Police IGP, Chief of Military Intelligence, Deputy Inspector-General of Police (DIG) and Commissioner of Police, Lagos State.

In the 25-paged petition with pictures, the “Complainants/Petitioners” alleged that they “have jointly and severally committed genocide and crimes against humanity under the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court. 

“These persons and officials of the state of Nigeria are the subjects of the request for investigations and criminal charges and prosecution.” 

They specifically accused them of being party to the “several incitements to ethnic violence, extra judicial killings, torture, physical assaults, abductions and gross abuse of human rights in Nigeria.”

The petition addressed to Karim A. A. Khan QC, The Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) by the National Lawyers Coalition for Peter Obi, is titled: COMPLAINT AND A REQUEST FOR THE INITIATION OF AN INVESTIGATION INTO CRIMES AGAINST HUMANITY IN NIGERIA PURSUANT TO ARTICLES 13(c), 15 & 53 OF THE ROME STATUTE, ON THE BASIS OF INFORMATION ON CRIMES WITHIN THE JURISDICTION OF THE INTERNATIONAL CRIMINAL COURT”.

The respondents were accused of “organized violence, ethnic baiting and attacks”.

The legal coalition said in the petition that “a few days before the election day, Sen. Bola Ahmed Tinubu, while addressing his supporters during a town hall meeting ordered his party members and his thugs to violently “grab, snatch and run away with ballot boxes” during elections, adding that “the said conduct resulted in several casualties and fatalities to individuals.”

They also alleged that “subsequent to Tinubu’s address, and on and about the 25 February, 2023, being the Presidential election day, on 18 March, 2023, being the Gubernatorial election day, and post-election days, “Mr. Musiliu Akinsanya, Tinubu’s chief thug, also known as MC Oluomo; his supporters and followers acting upon Tinubu’s orders and in compliance thereof took to the streets and unleashed mayhem in and around the country.

“Furthermore, also acting in concert with other Respondents, the following

persons incited ethnic hatred and violence which resulted in injuries and deaths during and after the general elections in Nigeria. 

“These are: Mr Bayo Onanuga, a journalist member of the APC and the Director of Media and Publicity for Tinubu’s Presidential campaign; Mr Femi Fani Kayode, the Spokesman for Tinubu; Governor Yahaya Bello of Kogi State; Mr. Sam Omatseye, a journalist in

one of Tinubu’s media companies; Otunba Biodun Ajiboye, a member of APC; Mr. Dele Alake, a member of APC and Reno Omokri.

“These attacks and incidents where the results of incitement to ethnic hatred by the Respondents, politicians and their agents who actively participated in these criminal acts.

“They supplied arms and ammunitions to their foot soldiers and incited them to kill and inflict grievous bodily harm on other individuals of different ethnic groups in Nigeria.

“They further publicly warned members of other ethnic groups who reside in Lagos State not to show up to exercise their fundamental human rights on the election dates.

“On 19 March 2023, following the completion of the gubernatorial and other elections in Lagos State, the attacks on opposition party supporters continued

after various ethnic baiting tweets by Mr. Bayo Onanuga, Femi Fani Kayode, Reno Omokri and others. 

“These tweets had fuelled election and post-election

violence against individuals from the specific ethnic group who were the target of the incitements, and therefore must be treated as crimes against humanity.

“The promotion of attacks and violence against targeted groups residing in a particular area is a clear violation of international law which falls within the jurisdiction of the ICC. 

“The ICC is hereby called upon to take action and to prevent a repeat, and also to hold the perpetrators to account. 

“The comments on their social media handles are nothing other hate speech.

“Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s inciting rhetoric about other ethnic groups living in Lagos State is largely responsible for the obvious suppression, oppression, attacks and killings witnessed during the recently concluded general elections in Nigeria.

“There are material evidences of persons of non-Igbo tribes that suffered similar fate as the Igbo just because they look like the Igbo.

“The eerie silence, or rather the acquiescence of the Mr. Sanwo-Olu the Executive Governor of Lagos State shows that he is complicit. 

“There has not been any arrest made, and no one has been held responsible for these crimes. 

“Mr. MC Oluomo is the Head Lagos State Park Management Agency which is a political appointment of the government of Lagos State; he was seen making open threats against people of other ethnic groups living in Lagos, there are videos of him inciting hate and violence against targeted individuals during the just concluded general elections in Lagos State.

“These proofs of organized crimes against humanity.”

They tendered videos, pictures and newspaper publications of attacks and injuries as evidence in their accusations against the respondents.