From Jeff Amechi Agbodo, Onitsha
A human rights organization, International Society for Civil Liberties and Rule of Law (Intersociety), has sued Imo State Governor Hope Uzodinma, former Inspector General of Police (Alkali Baba), former Chief of Defense Staff (Lucky Irabor), former Chief of Army Staff (Faruk Yahaya), Chief of Army Staff (Toareed Abiodun Lagbaja) who also served as GOC of the 82 Division, Enugu, former Army Chief of Intelligence (Samuel Adebayo), Brigadier Gen Raymond Utsaha Commander of the 34 Brigade, Obinze near Owerri to International Criminal Court (ICC) at The Hague, The Netherlands, over alleged mass murders, abductions, disappearances, acts of torture and burning down or wanton destruction of civilian houses and other properties and failed to act to stop it in Imo state.
Others dragged to ICC include; Commandant General of the Imo Ebubeagu Militia (Vigilante) Group and Chief Security Officer of Imo State, Commissioner for Justice/Attorneys General, Ex/serving Imo State Commissioners of Information and Homeland Security/Special Adviser(s) to the Imo Governor on Security, Brig Gen M. Ibrahim Brigade Commander of the 14 Brigade, Ohafia, Abia State, Col Abdulsalam Abubakar Sambo (as he then was), Cantonment Commandant, 302 Artillery Regiment, Onitsha (2021/2022), Navy Commodore SH Abdullahi (as he then was), Commander of the Nigerian Navy School of Finance and Logistics, Owerrenta, Abia State (2021/2022), The Commanding Officers of the 211 Regiment of the Nigerian Air Force, Owerri (from Jan 2021-date), DIG Tijani Baba (as he then was), DIG in charge of the Force Bureau of Intelligence (FIB)/Intelligence Response Teams (IRT)-2021/2022.
Others were CP Abutu Yaro Commissioner of Police, Imo State Police Command (2021/2022), AIG Habu Sani Ahmadu, Assistant Inspector General of Police (AIG) in charge of FIB, Abuja (2021/2022), CP Sadiq Abubakar CP in-charge of IRT (2021/2022). DCP Adepoju Ilori, DCP in charge of IRT (2021/2022), CP Kolo Yusuf (as he then was), CP in charge of Special Tactical Squad (STS), NPF, Abuja (2021/2022), DCP Abba Kyari, DCP in charge of IRT (Police Rapid Response Teams), Abuja (2021/2022), DCP Tunde Disu (as he then was), DCP/Commander in charge of IRT, Abuja (2021/2022), AIG Abutu Yaro (former AIG, Zone 13, Ukpor and repeat-perpetrator since 2022), DIG Sadiq Bello, DIG in charge of FIB, Abuja (since 2022), AIG Mamman Sandra, AIG-Zone 9, Umuahia (since 2023), AIG Shuaya’u Lafia Abdulyari, AIG in charge of FCIB, Abuja (since 2023), CP Mohammed Ahmed Barde, Commissioner of Police, Imo State (since Jan 2023), Major Gen Umar Musa, former GOC 82 Division, Enugu (in 2022), Major Gen Aminu Chinade, GOC, 82 Division, Enugu (2022-date), Brig Gen Sani Suleiman, 34 Brigade Commander, Obinze (since March 2022), Brig Gen Adegoke Adetuyi, 14 Brigade Commander, Ohafia (since March 2022) and Col M.B. Abubakar, Commander, 302 Artillery Regiment and General Supports, Onitsha (since 2022).
The Intersociety in a-13-page documents signed by its Chairman Mr Emeka Umeagbalasi,, Head, Democracy and Good Governance, Chinwe Umeche Esquire and Head, Civil Liberties and Rule of Law Obianuju Joy Igboeli Esquire filed before the International Criminal Court (ICC) at The Hague, The Netherlands against the accused persons over alleged, ‘crimes against humanity’ which the group alleged happened between January 2021 to May 2023 and above.
Umeagbalasi said that the Criminal Complaint was filed on Monday, 19th June 2023 and addressed to the Prosecutor of the ICC, Mr Karim A.A. Khan QC and it was filed for the Intersociety and the Families of the victims mentioned and attached, marked as “Jane Doe 1-8” by the Okekr Attorneys from South Africa, headed by Nigeria’s Mr Austin Okeke, a respected international human rights lawyer.
The filed Criminal Complaint was titled: “Notice Of Intention To File A (Criminal) Complaint And Request For The Initiation Of An Investigation Into Crimes Against Humanity In Imo State, Nigeria Pursuant To Articles 13(c), 15 and 53 of The Rome Statute on the Basis of Information on the Crimes Within The Jurisdiction of the International Criminal Court “ICC”.
The filed documents further disclosed in its “Particulars of Crimes that “there have been several extrajudicial killings, torture, physical assaults, abductions and other gross abuses of human rights in Imo State, Nigeria which include but are not limited to: incidences of murder, abduction, extortion, state-sponsored terrorism, persecution against a group or collectivity based on its political, racial, national ethnic or religious character, class criminalization and reprisal targeted against unarmed civilians (in addition to incessancy of civilian house burnings or wanton destruction of civilian homes and other properties)”.
The submitted document also averred that the “state actors in Imo State including Gov Hope Uzodinma aided and abetted and are still aiding and abetting the Imo mass murders and other conduct atrocities as well as grossly conspiring in their perpetration and perpetuation. It was further submitted in the document that sufficient “prima facie pieces of evidence have been found a warranting invitation for investigation by the ICC over violations of the international human rights and criminal laws and norms under UN and AU Systems including the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights and the Conventions against Torture and Involuntary Disappearances”, etc; ratified by Nigeria and that in the instant case, “the Nigerian organs of state and coercive and prosecutorial systems are sufficiently found to have become the instruments of such violations and as such the vehicles used to arbitrarily arrest and detain; torture, abduct, disappear, falsely criminalize, mass-murder and wantonly destroy or burn down civilian houses and other properties”.
“The filed document demanded an end to mass killings and property violence in Imo State and investigation, arrest and prosecution of the state actors and non-state actors involved including the aiders and abettors.
The Intersociety Chairman said that the filed Criminal Complaint was duly received and acknowledged by the Office of the ICC Prosecutor and referenced: “Intersociety and others vs Hope Uzodinma of Imo State, Nigeria and Others.”