#EndSARS: ICC acknowledges petition of criminal complaint against Falana

The International Criminal Court in Hague, The Netherlands, has acknowledged the receipt of a petition of criminal complaint filed against a renowned human rights lawyer and activist, Femi Falana, on allegation of instigating the #EndSARS protests which was hijacked by hoodlums who subsequently unleashed violence on other stakeholders. The petitioner complained that the violence led to the killing of innocent citizens, wanton destruction of properties, and other heinous crimes against humanity in Nigeria. They were, however, silent on the Tuesday, October 10, 2020, shooting of peaceful protesters at the Lekki Toll Gate, Lagos, by the Nigerian Army. The Tuesday night shooting provoked violent uprising on Wednesday leading to unpatriotic violence in burning of police stations and killing of police personnel, beside others.

The group, an invisible “Make Nigeria Better Initiative”, in the complaint dated 4th November, 2020 filed by Joseph Nwaegbu, is seeking investigation and prosecution by the ICC of the role played by Falana before, during and after what observers described as “the mother of all protests in Nigeria,” which it said, “is not only ignoble but criminal.”

The group also alleged that Falana was spreading fake news to further incite youths across the country against the government, which the petitioner claimed was accompanied with killings and destruction of properties.

The invisible Make Nigeria Better Initiative indicated that it has attached sensitive pieces of evidence on the allegations raised to prove that Falana ought to be sanctioned.

The ICC in a reply signed by the Head of Information and Evidence Unit of the ICC, Mark Dillon, disclosed that the communication has entered the registry of the court and will be considered accordingly with the procedure and Rome statute of the ICC.

The complainant listed policemen killed and government property destroyed as casualties of the protest which lasted about three weeks, and subsequently recommended punishment for ICC.

The petitioner therefore demanded the ICC Prosecutor to compel Falana, upon conviction under the Rome Statute to pay the sum of two billion US dollars as punitive damages for causing death, injury and maiming of several citizens as well as wanton destruction of public and private properties through his instigation of the violent #EndSARS Protests across Nigeria from the period 3rd October, 2020 to 21st October, 2020.