President Muhammadu Buhari on Thursday moved to preempt the International Criminal Court by nominating former service chiefs as ambassadors.

Tukur Buratai, Sadique Abubakar, Gabriel Olonisakin and Ibok Ekwe Ibas were asked to resign on January 26, with the president filling their respective positions immediately.

Barely a week on, Mr. Buhari has now sent the names of the former military chiefs to the Senate, seeking their approval as non-career ambassadors.

Petitions have flooded the ICC and other international bodies for Mr. Buratai to be charged for war crimes over his role in the December 2015 massacre of Shiites in Zaria, October 20, 2020, deadly attacks on protesters in Lagos, amongst other disproportionate use of military force against civilians.

Top ICC Fatou Bensouda disclosed in December that her office had established sufficient grounds to proceed with war crimes investigation against Mr. Buratai and other military chiefs over multiple cases of crimes against humanity in Nigeria.

But Mr. Buratai’s new role as a diplomat could complicate calls for his prosecution, even though he said he was not afraid of war crime charges.

PRESIDENT BUHARI NOMINATES OLONISAKIN, BURATAI, IBAS, ABUBAKAR, USMAN AS NON-CAREER AMBASSADORS
President Muhammadu Buhari has forwarded the names of the immediate past Service Chiefs to the Senate as non-career Ambassadors-Designate.

In a letter to Senator Ahmad Ibrahim Lawan, President of the Senate, the President said: “In accordance with section 171 (1), (2) (c) & sub-section (4) of 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as amended, I have the honour to forward for confirmation by the Senate, the under-listed five (5) names of nominees as Non-Career Ambassadors-Designate.”

The nominees are: Gen Abayomi G. Olonisakin (Rtd ), Lt Gen Tukur Y. Buratai (Rtd), Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (Rtd), Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar (Rtd), and Air Vice Marshal Mohammed S. Usman (Rtd).

The President urged the Senate to give expeditious consideration to the nominations.

Femi Adesina
Special Adviser to the President
(Media and Publicity)
February 4, 2021.