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updated 10:20 AM UTC, Dec 13, 2023

#EndSARS: Nigerian Govt & Officials Could Face Criminal Charges In ICC

Unic Press UK: A non-governmental organisation, the Alliance for the Survival of COVID-19 and Beyond (ASCAB), has warned the Nigerian Government against deploying the military to stop the ongoing nationwide peaceful demonstrations by the #EndSARS movement.

In a statement, the ASCAB said that the move toward deploying the military in the guise of Operation Crocodile Smile is “dangerous”.

The ASCAB said it will compile a list of human rights violations, reminding the Nigerian Government that it is a crime under the international law to shoot with the intention to kill a human being.

The group says killers will be held responsible at the International Criminal Court (ICC)

“Nigeria wants to set another ugly precedence in world history. The Federal Government should be reminded that Operation Crocodile Smile has been declared illegal by a Nigeria court with competent jurisdiction following legal actions filed by Mr Femi Falana; and efforts by the Chief of Army Staff to challenge the order by approaching the Court of Appeal met a brick wall. ASCAB recalled that the Federal High Court in July this year granted a perpetual injunction restraining the Army from such an exercise in Femi Falana SAN v Chief of Army Staff (FHV/L/CS/1939/19). The plan to deploy soldiers is dangerous. It will push Nigeria into the red light district of global reckoning. Sending soldiers after school children and leaders of tomorrow shows what future we anticipate for the teeming population of young men and women who have taken to the streets to protest against a system that buries their dreams and shatter their potentials and aspirations,” the statement read.


For circa two weeks, there have been nationwide peaceful demonstrations [under a trending hashtag #EndSARS] against the Nigeria Police and the Muhammadu Buhari-led administration over a range of  worrying issues, including monumental corruption, injustice, perennial extrajudicial killing of innocent people, etc.

The initial demands of the #EndSARS movement are five, given the Police killings which triggered this nationwide demonstrations.

However, it is generally believed that the movement is motivated by the urgency to challenge poor governance; and force the country’s political leaders to take on board a list of practical measures that would provide good governance at all levels of government, including regional autonomy, welfare of the people, tackling unbridled corruption, power supply, Police reforms, security of lives/property and so on.

 

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