Vice President Yemi Osinbajo says Nigeria backs ICC 100% and fully cooperating with the International Criminal Court (ICC) preliminary examination into issues related to insurgency in the North East to ensure the process is forthrightly concluded.
Prof. Osinbajo stated this Monday when he received at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, a delegation from the ICC led by its Prosecutor, Mrs. Fatou Bensouda.
“We have done quite a lot to prove that we are determined to fulfill our obligation under the Statute. And I want to say that, on behalf of the Nigerian government, we respect the process, and there is no reluctance on our part at all,” referring to the work of a judicial inquiry composed by the Federal Government to address some of the ICC preliminary issues.
“Again, let me say that Nigeria is committed to our obligations and the process under the Rome Statute; we are strong supporters of the Statute and the work of the ICC.”
In the same vein, the ICC Prosecutor, Bensouda, noted that since the Court started the preliminary examination, “we have had full cooperation and support from the Nigerian government and authorities, we have also engaged as much as possible.”
Other top government officials at the meeting included the Director-General, Department of State Services, DSS, Yusuf Magaji Bichi; and the Solicitor General of the Federation and Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Justice, Mr. Dayo Akpata.
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