Boko Haram Sponsrorship: ICC to Review the Petition against Modu-Sheriff and Ihejirika

Modu-Sheriff and Ihejirika

The International Criminal Court (ICC) has confirmed they will review the petition and other supporting documents, which claim ex Borno State governor Ali Modu Sheriff and retired Nigerian Army Chief of Staff Lt. General Azubuike Ihejirika were linked with the deadly sect Boko Haram.

An Australian negotiator, Stephen Davis, who has been working closely with the leadership of the Boko Haram sect, accused Sheriff and Ihejirika of sponsoring Boko Haram.

Later the Human and Environmental Development Agenda (HEDA), a non-governmental organization whose order is to endorse and protect human rights, appealed the ICC to act on Davis’ disclosures, declaring that the Nigerian government lacked the “political will” to interfere against high-profile defendants like Sheriff and Ihejirika.

It was read in statement: “With your public admittance of Boko Haram’s activities as qualifying for crimes against humanity, we shall not bother with further legal points to qualify these atrocities under the Rome Statute,” HEDA chairman Olanrewaju Suraju said. “It is also instructive to assert that the Nigerian government, under the current leadership lacks the political will and judicial independence to prosecute the individuals who are friends and former subordinates of the President.”

“We hereby urge the ICC to urgently open immediate examination of this development by inviting Rev. Stephen Davis to provide insight into his revelations, to assist the court in its investigation and possible prosecution of those connected with the crimes,” the statement furthered.

Tthe Head of Information and evidence unit, Office of the Prosecutor of the ICC, M. P. Dillon, in answer to the petition wrote to confirm that the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court had formally received, registered, and promised to review the compliance.

According the letter, the office of the ICC prosecutor, Fatou Bensouda, would treat the issues raised up in the petition within its mandate.

“This communication has been duly entered in the communications register of the office,” the letter read. “We will give consideration to this communication, as appropriate, in accordance with the Provisions of the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court.”

The letter concluded with a promise by the Court to communicate its decision once resolute.