Following the nomination of the immediate past service chiefs, as non career Ambassadors-Designate by President Muhammadu Buhari, and a letter to Sena
Following the nomination of the immediate past service chiefs, as
non career Ambassadors-Designate by President Muhammadu Buhari, and a letter to Senator Ahmad Ibrahim Lawan, President of the Senate, notifying them of this, former presidential aide, Reno Omokri is urging the national assembly to do the needful and not confirm their nomination.
“In accordance with section 171 (1), (2) (c) & sub-section (4) of 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as amended, I have the honour to forward for confirmation by the Senate, the under-listed five (5) names of nominees as Non-Career Ambassadors-Designate. The nominees are: Gen Abayomi G. Olonisakin, Lt Gen Tukur Y. Buratai (Rtd), Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (Rtd), and Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar (Rtd), as well as Air Vice Marshal Mohammed S. Usman (Rtd),” the letter read.
Buhari also charged the Senate to give expeditious consideration to the nominations.
But Omokri believes the reason behind the hurried nominations of the service chiefs as Ambassadors Designate is to give them diplomatic immunity thus shielding them from prosecution for crimes against humanity during their tenure which lasted longer than necessary.
“The reason behind this desperate and unprecedented act is to give these service chiefs, who have blood on their hands, diplomatic immunity so they cannot be arrested by the
International Criminal Court over the #LekkiMassacre of peaceful, unarmed #EndSARS protesters, and the December 12, 2015 murder of an estimated 1000 Shiite men, women, children and infants.
“The public may recall that I started a petition calling for the International Criminal Court to probe the various human rights abuses of the Buhari administration, and especially the Lekki Massacre. That petition went viral and that on October 22, 2020, the ICC ICC prosecutor, Fatou Bensouda, released a statement as follows:
“’office has been closely following the events around the current protests in Nigeria and the reaction of Nigeria’s law enforcement and security agencies. Any loss of life or injury is concerning. We have received information alleging crimes and are keeping a close eye on developments, in case violence escalates and any indications arise on that Rome Statute crimes may have been committed.’”
Continuing, Omokri said, “It will also be recalled that on November 4, the ICC revealed that it had progressed towards investigating the Lekki Massacre to “assess whether the legal criteria for opening an investigation under the Rome Statute are met.”
“I therefore call on the Senate of the National Assembly to perform its oversight function and save Nigeria from diplomatic embarrassment by refusing to confirm alleged crimes against humanity suspects as ambassadors designate.”
