PANAPRESS
Panafrican News Agency
NGO wants ICC to probe killing of school children in Nigeria
Lagos, Nigeria (PANA) - A non-governmental organization, Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP), has requested the International Criminal Court (ICC) at the Hague, Netherlands, to "“urgently probe the killings of teachers and school children in some parts of northern Nigeria as crimes against humanity".
SERAP also tasked the ICC to prevail on the Nigerian government to work towards preventing further attacks on schools.
The Nigerian NGO made the request in a petition, dated 4 October, 2013, which was sent to Ms Fatou Bensouda, the Prosecutor of the ICC.
The petition, signed by SERAP executive director, Adetokunbo Mumuni, stated in part: "SERAP is seriously concerned that these attacks against school children, apart from constituting violations of the right to life and the right to education, may amount to crimes against humanity under the Rome Stature."
“Crimes against humanity are completely outlawed and prohibited by Article 7 of the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court which defines crime against humanity as any of the following acts when committed in a widespread or systematic attack on a civilian population: murder; extermination; enslavement; deportation or forcible transfer of population; severe deprivation of physical liberty in violation of international law; persecution against any identifiable group on political, racial, national, ethnic, cultural, religious, gender or other grounds; or other similar inhumane acts causing great suffering or injury,” the organisation said.
According to the organization, “the attacks against school children have destabilised access to education in Nigeria as most children no longer go to schools. The closure of schools in the Northeast parts of Nigeria where the spate of attacks on education is on the rise, is due to the fear of teachers and students being killed.”
The organization also said that, “Those who are suspected to be responsible for the latest violence and previous outbreaks of deadly violence and attacks on school have not been known to be arrested and brought to justice, contrary to Nigeria’s national and international legal obligations, including under the Rome Statute of the ICC.”
“Victims of these attacks ought to have access to a fair, effective and prompt system of justice. States have the responsibility to put an end to impunity and to prosecute those responsible for crimes against humanity and other international crimes,” the organization also said.
Urging the Nigerian government to exercise due diligence to prevent any further attacks against teachers and school children, SERAP said the government must "fulfil its obligations under Article 86 of the Rome Statute to cooperate; including complying with your requests to arrest and surrender suspected perpetrators of attacks against teachers and school children, take testimony, and provide other support to the ICC."
-0- PANA PR/VAO 6Oct2013
SERAP also tasked the ICC to prevail on the Nigerian government to work towards preventing further attacks on schools.
The Nigerian NGO made the request in a petition, dated 4 October, 2013, which was sent to Ms Fatou Bensouda, the Prosecutor of the ICC.
The petition, signed by SERAP executive director, Adetokunbo Mumuni, stated in part: "SERAP is seriously concerned that these attacks against school children, apart from constituting violations of the right to life and the right to education, may amount to crimes against humanity under the Rome Stature."
“Crimes against humanity are completely outlawed and prohibited by Article 7 of the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court which defines crime against humanity as any of the following acts when committed in a widespread or systematic attack on a civilian population: murder; extermination; enslavement; deportation or forcible transfer of population; severe deprivation of physical liberty in violation of international law; persecution against any identifiable group on political, racial, national, ethnic, cultural, religious, gender or other grounds; or other similar inhumane acts causing great suffering or injury,” the organisation said.
According to the organization, “the attacks against school children have destabilised access to education in Nigeria as most children no longer go to schools. The closure of schools in the Northeast parts of Nigeria where the spate of attacks on education is on the rise, is due to the fear of teachers and students being killed.”
The organization also said that, “Those who are suspected to be responsible for the latest violence and previous outbreaks of deadly violence and attacks on school have not been known to be arrested and brought to justice, contrary to Nigeria’s national and international legal obligations, including under the Rome Statute of the ICC.”
“Victims of these attacks ought to have access to a fair, effective and prompt system of justice. States have the responsibility to put an end to impunity and to prosecute those responsible for crimes against humanity and other international crimes,” the organization also said.
Urging the Nigerian government to exercise due diligence to prevent any further attacks against teachers and school children, SERAP said the government must "fulfil its obligations under Article 86 of the Rome Statute to cooperate; including complying with your requests to arrest and surrender suspected perpetrators of attacks against teachers and school children, take testimony, and provide other support to the ICC."
-0- PANA PR/VAO 6Oct2013
