Ambassadorial role: Plan to shield Burutai from ICC probe will fail- Deji Adeyanju
Days after former chief of army staff, Maj. Gen. Tukur Burutai and others were removed by President Buhari as service chiefs, the president today nominated them for the role of a non-career ambassadors-designate.
Though their nomination is still awaiting confirmation by the Senate, the move by the president to bestow such honour on his immediate past service chiefs has been condemned by activist, Deji Adeyanju.
A group led by Adeyanju, Concerned Nigerians, had filed a petition before the International Criminal Court (ICC) to arrest and prosecute the former army chief for human rights violations and crimes against humanity.
They alleged the crimes were committed by the former army general during his tenure in office.
Recall that before this petition was filed, the ICC prosecutor, Fatou Bensouda in her reaction following what happened at the lekki toll gate confirmed that her office is monitoring what happened during the End SARS protests.
She also said in a separate report that an investigation could be opened for possible war crimes over the conflict between Boko haram and the Nigerian security forces.
READ ALSO: Breaking: Buhari nominates Olonisakin, Buratai others as non-career ambassadors
However, the plan by President Buhari to make Tukur Burutai an ambassador has been seen as a move to prevent him from being probed by the ICC.
According to Deji Adeyanju, the president is doing everything possible to ensure he doesn’t go to the ICC.
He said, “by conferring on him diplomatic immunity, he seeks to shield him from the consequences of his action but this will fail in the long run.”
