A Human rights lawyer, Femi Falana (SAN), has reacted to a petition filed against him at the International Criminal Court (ICC) in Hague for his alleged role in the #EndSARS protest.
Joseph Nwaegbu, a Nigerian lawyer, had sent a petition dated November 4, 2020, and addressed to Fatou Bensouda, ICC prosecutor. Nwaegbu asked the ICC to probe Falana for his role in the protest which he said turned violent across the country.
Nwaegbu also said upon conviction under the Rome Statute, the ICC direct Falana to pay $2 billion as punitive damages for causing death, injury, and destruction of properties during the protest.
Reacting to the petition, Falana (SAN) has slammed Nwaegbu for filing a frivolous petition anchored on conjecture or speculation at the ICC. He also described the allegations against him as an “obnoxious rejoinder” and baseless.
The Senior Advocate disclosed the petition was a ploy to distract the ICC and Lagos Judicial Panel from investigating the Lekki Shooting which is in violation of international humanitarian law.
Falana noted that the ICC is aware of the fact that the suspects destroyed private and public properties in Lagos state and other places during the #EndSARS protests have been arrested, investigated, and arraigned in criminal courts.
He said a group, the Socio-Economic and Rights Accountability Project (SERAP), had petitioned the ICC against the Nigerian Army “for the brutal killing of peaceful protesters in Nigeria.
