International Criminal Court (ICC) has dismissed an anonymous petition seeking an investigation into alleged systemic kidnappings in Nigeria as crimes against humanity.
Gatekeepers News reports that the petition was rejected by Pre-Trial Chamber II of the ICC on September 1, 2026, after the court determined that it lacked any legal basis.
The petition, titled “Formal Communication Requesting Investigation into Systemic Kidnappings in Nigeria as Crimes Against Humanity,” was submitted by an unidentified individual and transmitted by the ICC registrar to the president of the Pre-Trial Division on August 24.
It was subsequently assigned to Pre-Trial Chamber II on August 26 and considered by a three-member panel comprising Rosario Salvatore Aitala, the presiding judge, Sergio Godínez and Haykel Mahfoudh.
The chamber ultimately dismissed the filing, with the judges holding that it was not properly before the court and lacked a legal basis.
Reacting to the development, Lateef Fagbemi, Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, criticised the manner in which the petition was handled.
In a statement issued by his Special Adviser on Communication and Publicity, Kamarudeen Ogundele, Fagbemi said it was improper for an unverified filing from an anonymous individual to have been assigned to the pre-trial chamber without first determining whether the court had the legal authority to entertain it.
The Attorney-General also argued that the ICC’s Prosecutor, or a formal referral by a state party or the UN Security Council, is responsible for initiating requests for investigations under the Rome Statute.
Fagbemi said the Federal Government was concerned that the handling of the petition could undermine the court’s procedural safeguards and affect its relationship with Nigeria.
He nevertheless assured Nigerians that the ICC had not commenced an investigation against the Nigerian government or its institutions over the kidnapping allegations.
The dismissal comes amid continuing concerns over kidnapping and other security challenges across Nigeria.
