ICC Dismisses Anonymous Petition on Nigeria's Kidnappings

The International Criminal Court (ICC) dismissed an anonymous petition titled “Formal Communication Requesting Investigation into Systemic Kidnappings in Nigeria as Crimes Against Humanity,” filed under Document No. ICC-RoC46(3)-01/26.

The dismissal occurred on September 1, 2026, by Pre-Trial Chamber II, which ruled the application was not properly before the court and lacked a legal basis. Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, disclosed this in a statement on Thursday, emphasizing concerns regarding the petition's initial processing.

He noted that the filing by an “unknown submitter” was assigned to Pre-Trial Chamber II on August 26 without verifying its competence. Fagbemi described this as a breach of ICC procedural safeguards, capable of undermining the court's integrity.

He reiterated that the authority to evaluate information or request investigations rests solely with the ICC Prosecutor or through formal referrals by a State Party or the UN Security Council, asserting Nigeria's commitment to the Rome Statute and the rule of law.