Herders, farmers clash: Centre threatens to drag perpetrators to ICC

By Stanley Onyekwere Abuja

The Save Humanity Advocacy Centre (SHAC), has threatened to drag perpetrators of bloodletting in the Nigeria to the International Criminal Court (ICC).
In particular, the Centre noted as unacceptable the endless clashes between herders and farmers, which had led to lost of lives and valuables worth millions of naira, in some parts of the country, alleging that it had political under tone.
A statement signed by Adams Odoh, Executive Director of the group and obtained by our reporter yesterday claimed that there are overwhelming facts to show that some individuals and organizations are taking advantage of the ethnic and religious fragility of the country to continue to sow the seeds of hate and discord to achieve political goals.
SHAC lamented that some individuals and organisations have taken the laws into their hands by inciting political violence in innocent and harmless Nigerian citizens.
The statement reads in part:“We are also appalled that despite overwhelming pieces of evidence that points to specific individuals and organizations, nothing has been done to bring them to face the full wrath of the law.
“While it is worrisome to state that these heinous acts has resulted in the loss of lives, and destruction of properties, international human rights watchdogs and persecutors such as the United Nations (UN) and the ICC have not acted in the interest of the human race despite the series of petitions that has been submitted to it.
“As a first, the ICC has the jurisdiction to prosecute individuals for the international crimes of genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes.
“The question we therefore seek to ask the ICC is whether acts deliberately committed as part of an attack aimed at a specific sect of the population can be considered as a crime against humanity? And if yes, why hasn’t the ICC deemed it pertinent to commence prosecution of these individuals and organisations?
“We are in unequivocal terms requesting for an immediate investigation on the sponsors of politically motivated killings in Nigeria, and also scrutiny of the various petitions that have been submitted to the ICC in recent times.