Participants at an International Conference on Human Rights and Armed Conflict in Nigeria on Monday, called on the Federal Government to exit the International Criminal Court, (ICC).
The participants, who made the call in a communiqué issued at the end of the conference, said leaving the ICC was the surest way for Nigeria to win the fight against terrorism.
“We demand that the Federal Government immediately activates the necessary steps for Nigeria to exit the Rome Statute and its creation, the International Criminal Court, to ensure that the military can fight terrorism without the cloak of blackmail constantly hanging over it.’
“The International Criminal Court is constantly used to harass and intimidate military commanders and troops to discourage them from being committed to defeating Boko Haram.
“The myriads of false reports from Amnesty International and other groups usually have built in texts that threaten military personnel with arraignment for war crimes and crimes against humanity before the ICC.’’
In the communiqué signed by Mr Mutiullah Olasupo, Chairman, Communiqué Drafting Committee, participants at the conference agreed that a special task team should be set up to review and respond to any report emanating from Amnesty International, UNICEF or their associates.
The participants also agreed that the government must in the interim, assure the military that it was insulated from the ICC in view of its operations meeting international standard of rules of engagement.
The participants further accused Amnesty International of hindering the fight against Boko Haram by blackmailing the military with the ICC.
During the conference, participants and resource persons evaluated Nigeria’s war on terrorism in the three years of President Muhammadu Buhari’s adminstration, saying that a lot of progress had been made.
According to them, senior commanders of the terror group have been killed, arrested or surrendered and remnants of the group have resorted to sporadic cross border raids.
“They launch attacks from neighbouring Niger, Chad and Cameroon and retreat back to these places once the Nigerian military is in pursuit.
“It is regrettable that there has been a stall in the efforts to totally eradicate Boko Haram insurgents owing to several external interference.
“These interference include strategic support for the terrorists by international NGOs like Amnesty International and other groups representing interests in Nigeria and the failure of Nigeria’s neighbours to honor international and regional commitments.
“The support from these NGOs has ensured that Boko Haram continues to get sympathy to use as propaganda for recruiting and radicalizing new members and continue to attempt occasional attacks on soft targets.
“It has in this regard moved from using hardened fighters to deploying underage girls that are able to evade security scrutiny to carry out attacks.’’
The participants noted that South Africa, Burundi, Kenya and the Gambia had taken different steps towards exiting the ICC created by the Rome Statute because of its confirmed selective justice and usage as a tool for modern day colonialism.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the conference was organised by Global Amnesty Watch in collaboration with the Institute for African Studies, University of Nigeria, Nsukka.
Speakers at the conference included Mr David Falt, Global President, Global Amnesty Watch and Prof. Pita Agbese, University of Northern IOWA, (USA).
Others were Mary Johnson, a Human Rights Lawyer, and Mr Malfouz Adedimeji former Director, Centre for Peace and Conflict Studies, University of Ilorin.
Prof. Emmanuel Ezeani of the Conflict Resolution and Peace Building Unit, Institute of African Studies, University of Nigeria, Nsukka and Mr Udenta Udenta also spoke at the conference. (NAN)
https://www.africaprimenews.com/2018/05/23/news/egypt-police-arrest-prominent-blogger-says-rights-group/