Th e Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has asked President Muhammadu Buhari to urgently seek from the International Criminal Court (ICC) an arrest warrant to bring Mrs.
Diezani Alison-Madueke before a court over allegations of corruption against her.
Th e organisation believe that the government should consider as ‘crimes against humanity’ and serious enough for it to sanction prosecution of the former Minister before the court.
SERAP in a statement yesterday by its deputy director Timothy Adewale, urged the government to pursue what it called civil actions to ensure that all the funds allegedly stolen by former Oil Minister are fully recovered and duly accounted for.
“Th e allegations of corruption against Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke suggest the manifest failure of the government of former president Goodluck Jonathan to protect Nigerians from such heinous crimes.
Your government now has the responsibility to take bold action to suffi ciently redress this injustice committed against Nigerians, and the signifi cant long-term damage for the country.
“By pursuing international warrant of arrest for Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke in order for her to be brought before the ICC, your government would be showing to Nigerians that it is indeed determined to match its stated commitment to combat grand corruption and its debilitating eff ects with concrete and bold action.
“SERAP believes that as important as it is, the recovery of alleged stolen public funds from Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke is far from adequate to redress the crimes against humanity that have been committed against Nigerians.
Th e allegations of corruption clearly suggest the exploitation of Nigeria’s natural resources to the detriment of its people, and are serious enough to meet the requirements of crimes against humanity, thus bringing her within the jurisdiction of the ICC.
“Pursuing this case before the ICC would also help to deter grand corruption and its devastating eff ects on Nigeria.
Such bold initiative would also improve public confi dence in the fi ght against corruption.
