Civil society to drag Jonathan before International Criminal Court

The coalition of civil society groups in Nigeria have agreed to file a complaint against President Goodluck Jonathan at the International Criminal Court (ICC), in The Hague for the killing of unarmed Nigerians in the ongoing nationwide protest.

Mr Yinka Odumakin; an official of the Save Nigeria Group, which is mobilising millions of Nigerians for the protest, disclosed to Premium Times in an exclusive interview.

According to Mr Odumakin, ”a decision has been agreed on, to take the President and the Inspector General of Police; Afeez Ringim before The ICC for the unwaranted killing of ordinary Nigerians on a peaceful protest. Everyone who is responsible for the killing and ordering of the killing of unarmed civilians must be brought before the law.”

Two unharmed civilians were on Tuesday killed by officers of the Nigerian Police Force as the nation rounds off another day of widespread protest over the removal of fuel subsidy.

The victims were shot by officers in Ibafo; a community on the outskirt of Ogun state, as the police officers approached a road blockage set up by the protesters on the highway. The officers were alleged to have shot directly into the crowd of protesters.

This brings to over 10 lives that have been lost to extra-judicial killings since the nationwide strike commenced on Monday. About six people were killed in Kano state on Monday, while a young man died from gunshoot to his groin in Lagos by a police officer, identified to be the divisional police officer of the Pen Cinema Police station. The gun shots also left three others wounded.

The DPO of Pen Cinema Police station has since been arrested with an order from the Inspector General of Police that he should be ”dismissed with immediate effect.”

The order came after the IGP was quoted to have claimed that ”the police officer had to defend himself when he was attacked.”

If President Jonathan is charged before the ICC, he would be joining a list of former African leaders, who are currently facing trial at the court, such as Charles Taylor of Liberia and Laurent Gbagbo of Cote d’Ivoire.