A criminal complaint has been filed against a human rights activist, Femi Falana, before the International Criminal Court in Hague, for allegedly instigating the violent #EndSARS protests that led to the killing of innocent citizens, wanton destruction of properties, and other heinous crimes against humanity in Nigeria.
According to a reply signed by the Head of Information and Evidence Unit of the ICC, Mark Dillon, the communication has entered the registry of the court and will be considered accordingly with the procedure and Rome statute of the ICC.
In the complaint dated 4th November, 2020 filed by Joseph Nwaegbu, on behalf of Make Nigeria Better Initiative,the role played by Falana before, during and after what observers described as “the mother of all protests in Nigeria is not only ignoble but criminal.
The group further accused the Lagos lawyer of spreading fake news to further incite the youths in the country against the government which was accompanied with killings and destructions of properties.
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The group said it has attached sensitive pieces of evidence on the allegations raised to drive home their argument that Falana ought to be sanctioned.
In the criminal complaint, the complainant listed policemen killed and government property destroyed as casualties of the protest which lasted for about three weeks.
The group therefore called on the ICC Prosecutor to compel Falana, upon conviction under the Rome Statute to pay the sum of Two Billion US Dollars as punitive damages for causing death, injury and maiming of several citizens as well as wanton destruction of public and private properties through his instigation of the violent #EndSARS Protests across Nigeria from the period 3rd October, 2020 till 21st October, 2020.
(Editor:Abaje Usekwe)
