The Corporate Accountability and Public Participation, CAPPA, has submitted a petition at the International Criminal Court, ICC, The Hague, and to the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, seeking justice for the victims of #EndSARS protesters, especially those of Lekki Tollgate shootings in Lagos.
According to CAPPA’s Executive Director, Akinbode Oluwafemi, at a briefing in Lagos, Friday, the activities of federal and state governments, their security agents and institutions are shrinking the public space. There have been reports of police arresting identified #EndSARS protesters and promoters, denying them access to their families and lawyers, denied their right to travel out of the country and freezing of their bank accounts.
There was also the censorship of Arise TV, Africa Independent Television and Channels TV, and slamming them with a fine of N3 million each, while the Social Media Bill was resurrected at the National Assembly.
Oluwafemi noted that these actions have cast doubts on the likely outcome of the various panels set up to look into the excesses of SARS and the protests, hence the need to reach out to ICC for justice.
Oluwafemi said: “Friday, November 20, we delivered this international petition to the ICC and UN High Commissioner. “10,027 individuals have signed the petition as well as 154 organizations from over 75 countries around the world.
“Additionally, a dozen notable international figures have voiced their solidarity with the movement for justice.” The Petition, entitled “We Demand International Inquiry into October 20, 2020 Lekki #EndSARS Killings,” was sent to the President of ICC, Chile Eboe-Osuji, and High Commissioner Michelle Bachelet, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights.
Speaking at the briefing, Aderonke Ige, CAPPA Associate Director, said righteous anger made CAPPA petition the ICC. Ige noted that in other climes, the government would apologize over a disaster such as the Lekki shootings and investigate it. “However,” she added, “here, when a president and ministers should resign, they will make you doubt your sanity.”
Others who spoke at the briefing on justice for the victims were Executive Director, Centre for Anti-Corruption and Open Leadership (CACOL), Debo Adeniran, and Comrade Soweto of the Youths Rights Campaign (YRC). Some of the organizations that endorsed the petition are the Joint Action Front (JAF), Peace and Development Project (PEDEP), Civil Liberties Organization (CLO), Centre for Children’s Health Education, and Orientation and Protection (CEE-Hope).
