Less Than 24 Hours After Leaving Power, ICC Set To Probe Gov Tambuwal
A civic group, the Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA), has petitioned the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague, Netherlands, while demanding the arrest and prosecution of Sokoto State Governor, Aminu Tambuwal, for crimes against humanity over his wilful refusal to follow up the killers of a Christian female student of Shehu Shagari College of Education, Sokoto, Deborah Samuel.
Recall that Deborah Samuel was in May 2022, stoned to death by some students believed to be her classmates over alleged blasphemy but the Sokoto State government has not convicted anyone for the killing.
It was gathered that HURIWA in the petition to the Office of the Prosecutor of the ICC stated that “Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria, HURIWA, hereby makes this petition to the International Criminal Court ICC, under Article 15 of the Rome Statute, already ratified by Nigeria”.
The rights group in the petition requested that Governor Tambuwal, who was the Sokoto State governor at the time Deborah was killed, be arrested and prosecuted.
The petition stated that “The right to life of every citizen of Nigeria is guaranteed under Section 33 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, except as provided therein.
“The prohibition of blasphemy in Section 204 of the Criminal Code cannot pass the test of constitutional validity, in view of the guarantees of Freedom of Religion and Free Speech, under Sections 38 and 39 of the Constitution, respectively.
“Although the responsibility of criminal prosecution is that of the Nigeria Police headed by a Commissioner of Police in each State of the Federation of Nigeria, each State Governor as Chief Security Officer of his State has operational control of the Police in his or her State, through the aforementioned State Police Commissioners.
“Each State in Nigeria including Sokoto State, has a Ministry of Justice, headed by an Attorney-General, with full prosecutorial powers, in respect of crimes committed in his State, including murder.
“Therefore, the ultimate responsibility of arresting and prosecuting the fanatics that murdered Miss Deborah Samuel, is that of the Governor of Sokoto at the time, Mr Aminu Tambuwal.
“The danger of Mr Tambuwal’s lackadaisical handling of this very serious moral and criminal dilemma posed by the killing of Miss Deborah Samuel, is that it will encourage other miscreants to embark on this sort of crime, with impunity.
In view of the foregoing, HURIWA urged the ICC to arrest and prosecute Mr Tambuwal, expeditiously.”
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