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International Criminal Court investigates #EndSARS protest
BY NICHOLAS ABE
The International Criminal Court (ICC) says it is conducting a preliminary examination into the recent #EndSARS protests against police brutality in Nigeria.
BBC reports that the office of the ICC prosecutor in a statement said it had received information on alleged crimes.
The examination, ICC said, will “assess whether the legal criteria for opening an investigation under the Rome Statute are met.”
For two weeks thousands of peaceful protesters gathered in streets in major cities in Nigeria to protest against harassment, extortion and extrajudicial killings by police.
The peaceful protests in Lagos later became bloody after soldiers allegedly fired live ammunition on #EndSARS protesters at Lekki Toll Gate, Lagos, on October 20.
Even though the army had said in a statement that it was invited by the Lagos State Government to help end the protest, it however denied its men shot at protesters, notwithstanding shells and discharged bullets recovered from the protest ground.
The peaceful protest was eventually hijacked by hoodlums who looted and damaged public and private properties.
READ: We were invited by Lagos State Govt to stop #EndSARS protest – Army
President Muhammadu Buhari said 51 civilians, 11 police officers and seven soldiers were killed in the violence that trailed the Lekki shooting.
Amnesty International said it has proofs that the shooting and killing of unarmed protesters were done by state security forces. It accused the military of plotting to cover up the killings.
The inspector general of police Mohammed Adamu said Amnesty International’s claim was not true.
Lagos State Government has set up a panel of enquiry to take complaints from victims of police brutality and also investigate the shooting of protesters at Lekki Toll Plaza.
The International Criminal Court, however, said it was concerned after following events from the nationwide demonstrations closely.
“My office has been closely following the events around the current protests in Nigeria and the reaction of Nigeria’s law enforcement and security agencies,” ICC chief prosecutor Fatou Bensouda tweeted in October.
Bensouda said the ICC investigation will be hinged on if the “Rome Statute crimes may have been committed” during the EndSARS.