President of Sudan Omar al-Bashir who has been declared a war criminal by the ICC for alleged genocide and war crimes during the Darfur war was smuggled from India to Sudan aboard the Nigerian Presidential Jet.
It will be recalled that Omar al-Bashir attended the India-Africa Summit held in New Delhi India. India is not party to the Rome Statute that created the ICC, which is an independent international court, and New Delhi is not expected to oblige it by arresting Omar al-Bashir.
After the summit, Omar al-Bashir was left with the dilemma of returning to Sudan and like a good brother, President Muhammadu Buhari offered to take him to Sudan aboard the Nigerian Presidential Jet.
As reported by Vanguard , President Muhammadu Buhari made a “technical stop-over” in Sudan on October 31st on his way from New Delhi. Our source reliably informed us that the “technical stop-over” was to drop the Fugitive President Omar al-Bashir in Sudan.
Nigeria deposited its instrument of ratification to the Rome Statute on 27 September 2001. The ICC therefore has jurisdiction over Rome Statute crimes committed on the territory of Nigeria or by its nationals from 1 July 2002 onwards. As it stands, Nigeria is party to the Rome Statute that created the ICC.
The question now is : Why will President Muhammadu Buhari smuggle an International fugitive aboard the Nigerian presidential Jet knowing fully well that his actions contravenes the International Statutes that Nigeria is signatory to.
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