Buhari Moves To Stall ICC Charges Against Ex Service Chiefs As He Nominates Buratai, Others As Ambassador

Barely a week after their resignation, President Muhammadu Buhari has nominated ex Service chiefs as non-career ambassadors.

The development is contained in a statement by special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, on Thursday.

According to the statement, their names have been forwarded to the Senate for confirmation.

The statement read, “President Muhammadu Buhari has forwarded the names of the immediate past Service Chiefs to the Senate as non-career Ambassadors-Designate.

“In a letter to Senator Ahmad Ibrahim Lawan, President of the Senate, the President said: ‘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 include: Gen Abayomi G. Olonisakin (Rtd ), Lt Gen Tukur Y. Buratai (Rtd), Air Vice Marshal Mohammed S. Usman (Rtd), Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (Rtd) and Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar (Rtd).

The nomination of the ex service chiefs might be part of the Buhari’s administration move to shield them from prosecution by the International Criminal Court in Hague amid allegations of war crimes against the erstwhile security chiefs.

Civil society organisations and individuals have petitioned the ICC and other international bodies asking them to charge Buratai for war crimes over his role in the December 2015 massacre of Shiites in Zaria, October 20, 2020, deadly attacks on protesters in Lagos, amongst other brute and excessive use of military force against civilians.

Top ICC Fatou Bensouda disclosed in December that her office had established sufficient grounds to proceed with war crimes investigation against Mr. Buratai and other military chiefs over multiple cases of crimes against humanity in Nigeria.

The nomination of Buratai and others might stall the charges against them at the ICC as diplomatic Immunity they will be getting by virtue of being an ambassador might shield them from prosecution.