ICC studies petition against Lagos monarch, Akiolu

ICC studies petition against Lagos monarch, Akiolu 24 Aug 2015 12:13 AM  Indications emerged on Sunday that the International Criminal Court is studying the alleged threat by the Oba of Lagos, Rilwan Akiolu, to drown Igbos residing in Lagos in the lagoon if they failed to vote for the All Progressives Congress in the April 11 governorship election in the state. Following the threat, which the Oba allegedly made after the March 28 presidential and national assembly polls, Dr. Josef Onoh, the son of a former governor of old Anambra State, petitioned the ICC, accusing Akiolu of inciting violence against the Igbos. Onoh, in the petition dated April 21, urged the ICC to investigate the threat and bring the Oba to justice for planning to annihilate the Igbo race over election matters. The ICC, on April 28, had acknowledged receipt of Onoh’s petition. Acknowledging receipt of the petition, the ICC Head of Information and Evidence Unit, Office of the Prosecutor, M.P. Dillon, had said, “This communication has been duly entered in the communications register of the office. “We will give consideration to this communication, as appropriate, in accordance with the provisions of the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court.” Our correspondent learnt in Enugu on Sunday that the ICC had informed Onoh that it was working on the issues he raised in the petition. In a second correspondence to Onoh, with reference number OTP-CR-140/15, dated August 13, 2015, Dillon, the Head of the Information and Evidence Unit in the Office of the Prosecutor, ICC, said the court was analysing the situation identified in his petition with the assistance of other related communications and available information. The ICC, in the letter, stated that “Under Article 53 of the Rome Statute, the prosecutor must consider whether there is a reasonable basis to believe that crimes within the jurisdiction of the court have been committed, the gravity of the crimes, whether national systems are investigating and prosecuting the relevant crimes, and the interests of justice.” The controversial threat was made after it appeared as if the Igbos in Lagos were supporting the Peoples Democratic Party governorship candidate, Jimi Agbaje. The Oba wanted the Igbos to vote for the APC candidate, Akinwumi Ambode, who eventually won the election. Onoh petitioned the ICC, saying the Oba’s threat amounted to a call for violence against the Igbos in Lagos. According to Onoh, the threat violated Article 20 of the International Convention on Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination. “Had the threat been made by any lesser person we would have dismissed same as an idle threat, but coming from the Oba of Lagos, it was a call to arms and an incitement to violence against the Igbos,” Onoh said in the petition. Copyright PUNCH. All rights reserved. This material, and other digital content on this website, may not be reproduced, published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed in whole or in part without prior express written permission from PUNCH. Contact: editor@punchng.com