Human Rights Law Firm Against General Buhari

Prakken d’Oliveira, a Human Rights Law Firm based in Amsterdam, has submitted to the ICC Prosecutor a criminal complaint against General Muhammadu Buhari, on account of the 2011 electoral violence in Nigeria, the complaint is dated the 5^th of February 2015

The subject of the complaint is: ARTICLE 15 COMMUNICATION TO THE ICC OFFICE OF THE PROSECUTOR REGARDING 2011 POST-ELECTION VIOLENCE IN NIGERIA

Prakken d’ oliveira, led by Prof. Sluiter, Lawyer and Partner, is acting on behalf of the Nigerian Northern Coalition for Democracy and Justice and two individual victims.

He is supported by a team of renowned Human Rights Lawyers; Maro Wungaarded, Michael Pestman, Flip Schuller, Prof Liesbeth Zegveld, Marieke Van Eik, Prof Britta Bohler, Corrien Ullersma, Wil Eikelboom, Dr Channa Samkalden, Tamara Buruma, Edward Van Kempen, Brechtje Vossenberg, Tomasz Kodrzycki, and Dr Hana Van OOijen. The Advisors include Prof Hans Ulrich Jessurun D’ Oliveira and Prof Ties Prakken.

The full version of the criminal complaint is available on the following links in two parts @ Criminal Complaint Against Gen Buhari 1and Criminal Complaint Against Gen Buhari 2

The complaint sets out in detail, the background to the 2011 Nigerian electoral violence and discusses the available evidence against General Buhari. In addition, the complaint analyses the crimes within the ICC Statute and the modes of liability applicable to General Buhari’s conduct.

The complaint alleges that General Muhhamadu Buhari incited and orchestrated the electoral violence in Nigeria in 2011, which lead to the violent murder of over 938 and 735 injured,  many of them children, women and young men.

The Compliant presents factual evidence including the names and descriptions of a sampling of those who lost their lives in the violence, these include youth croppers who were killed in Giade, Bauchi State in the 2011 post-election violence:

Agnes Anyanwu of Imo State origin; Ms Anyanwu in spite of being pregnant was gang-raped to death

Michael Obinna Okpokiri (NYSC No BA/10C/0950) of Abia state Origin

Elliot Adowei (NYSC No BA/11A/0274) of Delta State Origin

Paul Seun Adewunmi (NYSC N0 BA/10B/1301) of Ekiti State origin

Ikechukwu Chibuzor Ukeoma (NYSC No BA/11A/1354) of Imo state origin

Anslem Nkwazema (NYSC No BA/10B/1160 of Imo State origin

Olawalw Tosin Teidi (NYSC No BA.10C/1220) of Kogi State Origin

Sule Ibrahim Akonji (NYSC No BA/11A/1009) of Kogi State origin

Ayotunde Ebenezer Gbenjo (NYSC No BA/10B/0463) of Osun State origin

Jehleel Kehinde Adeniyi (NYSC No BA/10B/0197? of Osun State origin

 

Furthermore, the complaint contains frequent references to other cases of electoral violence, which are at present prosecuted before the ICC: Kenya and Ivory Coast.

The complaint avers that the Nigerian electoral violence of 2011 is, at least, of similar gravity and thus also warrants investigation and prosecution by the ICC.

The Human Rights lawyers, explain that the submission of the present complaint is not only motivated by the keen desire to deliver justice to the many victims of the 2011 electoral violence, but also serves to deter all those participating in future Nigerian elections, and their supporters, from committing similar crimes.

Prakken d’Oliveira states that ‘In this light, it is with great concern that the legal team has learned that three representatives of the Northern Coalition for Democracy Justice have received death threats from Buhari supporters following the announcement of the case. This is unacceptable. It is imperative, in any justice system based on the rule of law, that victims are able to pursue justice, without any interference and intimidation.’