The African Democratic Congress (ADC) vice-presidential candidate, Rotimi Amaechi, has claimed that a certain number of deaths would be required under international law before President Bola Tinubu could face prosecution by the International Criminal Court (ICC).
Amaechi made the claim while addressing ADC stakeholders in a video circulating online, where he warned the president against what he described as his administration’s crackdown on opposition figures.
He urged opposition members not to succumb to intimidation, alleging that security operatives were being used to frighten them.
Citing the case of former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte, who is in detention over allegations linked to his administration’s anti-drug campaign, Amaechi argued that Nigerian leaders could also face international prosecution over alleged killings.
“We must be ready. You know why? International law says there is a number of persons that must die at the hands of this government before Tinubu will be prosecuted by the International Criminal Court,” he said.
Amaechi further claimed that the president would not escape prosecution by remaining in Nigeria, insisting that international legal processes could lead to his arrest.
He also alleged that senior military and police officials who issued orders resulting in unlawful killings could face arrest under international law.
“One thing about international law is that it is not only Tinubu they will catch. The general who issued the instruction, the Chief of Army Staff and the Inspector-General of Police who issued the instructions will also be arrested,” Amaechi said.
He urged Nigerians to resist what he described as intimidation by security agencies, arguing that such actions were intended to discourage opposition members from speaking out.
