FOLLOWING incessant killings in Southern Kaduna, Nigerians are currently signing a petition to demand that President Muhammadu Buhari, Tukur Buratai, Chief of Army Staff and Nasir El-Rufai, Governor of Kaduna State stand trial at the International Court of Justice (ICC), Hague for their failure to stop the killings.
The concerned Nigerians also want the president, the Chief of Staff and the Governor to be prosecuted to the full extent of the law and made to pay reparations to citizens of the affected communities if found guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
The call for signatures to push the petition to the United Nations which was started by a Concerned Citizen by the name Assian is titled Justice For Southern Kaduna,Nigeria and available on change.org.
The convener of the petition to the United Nations, lamented that communities in Southern Kaduna have suffered persistent carnage for so long,despite having the presence of military and security installations domiciled there.
He said the the frequency of attacks this year, intensified in the wake of the nationwide lockdown between March and May through July 19 to 25.
“No cogent action has been taken,either by the Government of Kaduna State nor the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria,” he said.
He noted that every attempt at an inquistion was often met with outright denial of the situation and censorship of protests.
“Residents there, are left traumatized, helpless and vulnerable to further attacks. The Presidency, Office of the Governor of Kaduna State and The Nigerian Army must be held accountable for the unwanton loss of lives. The inaction of the Government in this matter, strongly implicates it as a sponsor of this genocide: A Crime Against Humanity,” the petitioner said.
He called on every well meaning Nigerians and individuals across the nations to sign the petition.
“On behalf of the citizens of Southern Kaduna,the Federal Republic of Nigeria and every well-meaning citizen of the world; who stand for human rights and justice; I request that the following persons: The President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria: His Excellency; President Muhammadu Buhari (GCFR), The Chief of Army Staff of Nigeria; Lieutenant-General Tukur Yusuf Buratai, The Executive Governor of Kaduna State; His Excellency Mr Nasir El-Rufai stand trial in the International Court of Justice,Hague for their complicity in this daily massacre of residents of Southern Kaduna Communities.”
A total of 4,483 Nigerians have signed the petition that needed 500 signatures at the time of filing this report.
On Saturday, Southern Kaduna Peoples Union, said 63 people had been killed in the past one week by the militiamen in a new launched attack despite a 24-hour curfew imposed by the Kaduna State government.
The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) had attributed the continued killings in Southern Kaduna to the failure of security agencies to arrest and bring to book those responsible for the killings.
In 2017, Yemi Osinbajo while acting as Nigerian President made a passionate appeal to religious and community leaders in Southern Kaduna to give peace a chance in their communities.