Concerned Nigerians Group writes ICC, demands arrest and prosecution of ex-COAS Tukur Buratai
The Concerned Nigerians Group has filed a petition at the International Criminal Court (ICC), demanding the arrest and prosecution of the immediate past Chief of Army Staff, Tukur Buratai.
The group in a letter filed by its Convener, Deji Adeyanju and addressed to Fatou Bensouda, the court’s Chief Prosecutor, asked the ICC to investigate, arrest and prosecute Buratai over allegations of human rights violations and crimes against humanity while he was in office.
According to the petition, it is to serve as a deterrent to others who have made it a point of duty to ”indiscriminately abuse the rights of Nigerians.”
The petition reads:
“We write to call on the International Criminal Court and all lovers of democracy and human rights in the world to immediately investigate, arrest and prosecute Lieutenant General Buratai (Rtd) who was just relieved of his duty as Chief of Army Staff for crimes against humanity and the Nigerian people.
“It will be recalled that sometimes in 2015, Lieutenant General Buratai (Rtd) ordered members of the Nigerian army to kill over 300 defenseless Nigerian Shiite Muslims on the unjustifiable grounds that they ‘touched a general’s chest’. That event has been appropriately tagged the Zaira massacre and it has further worsened the insecurity situation in Nigeria.
“Shortly thereafter, Lieutenant Buratai (Rtd) ordered the Nigerian soldiers to kill hundreds of Nigerian citizens of South Eastern extraction, in the guise of searching for members of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).It is particularly noteworthy to mention that as at the time Lieutenant General Buratai (Rtd) ordered the massacre of IPOB members, the group had not been proscribed by the Nigeria Government.
“Additionally, we have been able to gather from different independent sources that Lieutenant General Buratai (Rtd) personally ordered the killing of the innocent protesters at Lekki toll gate, Lagos, on October 20, 2020. It is on the basis of the foregoing, among other human rights abuses, that we call on the International Criminal Court and friends of Nigeria to urgently investigate, arrest and prosecute Lieutenant General Buratai (Rtd), to serve as a deterrent to members of the Nigerian Armed Forces and their civilian collaborators who have made it a point of duty to indiscriminately abuse citizens’ human rights.”
that is good cuz the man is of no good use for this nation than to chop our money…..
That’s welcome development because it will serve as deterrent to others when they are on one position.
I hope the international criminal court will look into this allegations and do the needful.
Nigerians are demanding justice, especially the activities of bokoharam in the country that led to killing of many ok innocent people.
Many of these military men or paramilitary use to abuse people whenever they are on throne and ICC can help us to investigate them, it will save as deterrent to others.
I join them to call on the ICC to act fast, he need to pay for his crimes now that he is alive. Later his soul will face with God. Wicked man.
To me arresting him may not actually solve the problem of Nigeria
I stand with Deji on this one despite his flaws on his views in certain issues. Yes Brutai ought to stand trial and answer for so many human rights abuses and killings that he was allegedly accused of Master minded.Truely a man lives up to the name he bears. A mans name have some bearing and influence in his actions in life. Brutal is same with brutal and brutal is the father of brutality. Brutai is the epitome of brutality and he lived up to it fully as the army chief. let him be prosecuted at ICC