The International Criminal Court (ICC) has dismissed a petition seeking an investigation into alleged “systemic kidnappings in Nigeria as crimes against humanity”.
The petition was rejected by Pre-Trial Chamber II on September 1, 2026, amid continuing concerns over kidnapping incidents across the country.
The decision was issued by a three-member panel comprising Rosario Salvatore Aitala, presiding judge, Sergio Godínez and Haykel Mahfoudh.
According to the decision published on the ICC website, the court’s registrar transmitted the petition, filed by an unnamed individual, to the president of the Pre-Trial Division on August 24, 2026.
The petition was titled, “Formal Communication Requesting Investigation into Systemic Kidnappings in Nigeria as Crimes Against Humanity.”
After it was assigned to Pre-Trial Chamber II on August 26, the panel dismissed it, stating that it lacked “any legal basis”.
FG Faults ICC Handling of Anonymous Petition
The Federal Government has, however, criticised the manner in which the petition was handled by the ICC.
In a statement issued on Thursday, Lateef Fagbemi, attorney-general of the federation and minister of justice, said it was improper for the president of the ICC’s Pre-Trial Division to assign an unverified filing from an anonymous individual to Pre-Trial Chamber II.
Fagbemi argued that the petition was assigned without first determining whether the chamber had the legal authority to consider the matter or whether the complaint was manifestly frivolous.
“The Federal Government notes with serious concern that on 26th August 2026, the President of the Pre-Trial Division improperly initiated a procedural process by assigning an unverified filing from an anonymous submitter to Pre-Trial Chamber II, purportedly pursuant to Regulation 46(3) of the Regulations of the Court,” the statement reads.
He said the administrative assignment was made without a prior determination on the chamber’s competence or whether the communication was manifestly frivolous.
“For the avoidance of doubt, internal administrative guidelines cannot be used to bypass the strict rules established under the Rome Statute.”
Fagbemi further argued that the authority to evaluate information or request an investigation rests with the ICC prosecutor, or through formal referrals by a state party or the UN Security Council.
He said the Federal Government was concerned that the handling of anonymous and unverified requests could affect the integrity of the ICC’s judicial processes and its relationship with Nigeria.
The attorney-general assured Nigerians that the ICC had not initiated any investigation against the Nigerian state or its institutions.
