An international human rights lawyer , Emmanuel Ogebe, has debunked claims that President Muhammadu Buhari of Nigeria had any meeting with the chief Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) over sundry issues in the country during the former visit to the Hague recently.
Mr Ogebe, said the need to clarify this position became necessary in view of the widely held view that there was discussion between the Nigerian President and the chief prosecutor of the ICC adding that his visit to the ICC headquarters last week was to discuss sundry matters related to situation in Nigeria including election, violence,terrorism,hostages and the recent Jos crisis.
He stated that while the discussion he had with the ICC Chief prosecutor was strictly confidential nothing was discussed on the visit of President Buhari adding that the ICC chief prosecutor just met the Nigerian president as a special guest of the ICC and not for any of the above or related sundry issues affecting Nigeria
Said he,
‘While the kernel of our discussions remain confidential, I wish to gratefully acknowledge the response of the Chief Prosecutor to my memos raising concern over the visit of Gen Buhari as special guest speaker at the chambers of the ICC
‘(“Troubling Visit of Nigeria’s President Buhari to ICC,”)
He stated further that in a memo dated July 15 and August 6, he had asked for the minutes of the meeting between President Buhari and Chief Prosecutor Bensouda to be publicly disclosed.
Mr Ogebe said he was however advised by the Officer of the Prosecutor (OTP) that Chief Prosecutor Bensouda did not in fact have a meeting with Gen. Buhari as claimed in the schedule released by the government of Nigeria.
‘Apart from brief greetings, the Chief Prosecutor did not
have a private meeting with the Nigerian President. Rather she did meet with the Attorney General of Nigeria who is the relevant responding party she interfaces with regarding Nigeria
‘ he explained further.
The attorney disclosed further that the Chief Prosecutor maintain that though her mandate empowers her to engage with national leaders so even if she had met with Gen. Buhari, it would have been in order.
‘She emphasized that her not meeting with Gen. Buhari was not because she lacked the powers so to do or because she was avoiding him’ he declared further in a press release made available weekend.
I thank the Chief Prosecutor for acknowledging our concerns over the controversial visit.
Ogebe however declared that he reminded the ICC Prosecutor that not only must Justice be done but justice must be seen to be done on the killings going on in the country.
He also commended the Chief Prosecutor for her consistent responsiveness to civil society since when she was a deputy Chief Prosecutor adding that, ‘at a time when the Court and the OTP are headed by West Africans, it is critical that human rights in the region be valued and elevated for the progress of our people affected in Plateau massacre of June 2018 and stressed the need for something urgent to stop the current situation where people are dying daily .
‘I believe the ICC must attend to the Nigerian situation with a stronger sense of urgency that Black Lives Matter.
‘he declared.
