Nigeria Reaffirms Cooperation with ICC, Demands Respect for Sovereignty

 

Nigeria has reaffirmed its commitment to cooperate with the International Criminal Court (ICC) while insisting that such collaboration must respect the country’s sovereignty and constitutional framework.

Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Prince Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), made the statement on Monday at the 24th session of the Assembly of States Parties to the Rome Statute of the ICC in The Hague, Netherlands.

Fagbemi conveyed President Bola Tinubu’s appreciation to the ICC for its efforts in strengthening international criminal justice. He stressed that Nigeria’s cooperation with the Court would be anchored in international law and national legal authority.

“The Federal Government of Nigeria remains ready to work with the ICC in fulfilling its mandate. Our cooperation is guided by the principles of international law and the sovereign equality of States, and it must always reflect respect for Nigeria’s sovereignty and constitutional framework,” he said.

Highlighting Nigeria’s commitment to accountability, Fagbemi cited initiatives such as the High-Level International Humanitarian Law Dialogue held in May and the Six-Month Demobilization, Deradicalization, and Reintegration (DDR) Programme, which has successfully reintegrated over 6,000 former combatants.

He also noted the ongoing domestication of the Rome Statute and Additional Protocols I & II of the Geneva Conventions, while awaiting presidential assent for the Kampala Convention. Nigeria has also endorsed the Political Declaration on Explosive Weapons in Populated Areas.

Reaffirming the principle of complementarity, Fagbemi stressed Nigeria’s capacity to prosecute serious crimes domestically and expressed optimism for the formal conclusion of its ICC situation.

Addressing emerging security challenges, he warned that new technologies, including lethal autonomous weapons, present ethical and legal dilemmas that require global attention. He called for sensitivity to the peculiar challenges faced by states grappling with terrorism, insurgency, and mass displacement.

Fagbemi condemned recent cyberattacks on the ICC, describing them as deliberate attempts to undermine international justice. He urged enhanced collaboration with technology experts to safeguard the Court’s integrity.

Concluding, he urged non-member states to accede to the Rome Statute, emphasizing that Nigeria stands firmly with other States Parties in the global fight against impunity.