Canada-Based Professor Files Petition Against Fani-Kayode, MC Oluomo At ICC

The International Criminal Court in Hague has been asked to investigate a spokesperson of the All Progressives Congress presidential campaign, Femi Fani-Kayode, and Musiliu Akinsanya (a.k.a MC Oluomo), for alleged “ethnic hate”.

The petition was filed by Assistant Professor of Law at the University of Calgary, Christian Gideon, in connection with election and post-election violence in Nigeria.

He claimed that the duo allegedly caused tension in Nigeria against a particular ethnic group and also alleged that none of them has been arrested following inciteful remarks they made.

“The domestic institutions in Nigeria have become corrupt and inept, and hence unable to hold the individuals who directly and indirectly planned, organized and incited this ethnically motivated violence,” Gideon wrote, urging the ICC to probe them alongside another APC spokesperson, Bayo Onanuga on alleged ethnic hate.

He wrote, “Further Request to Investigate the Election and Post-Election Violence in Nigeria as Well as Incitement to Ethnic Hate by Messrs. Femi Fani-Kayode and Musiliu Akinsanya (a.k.a MC Oluomo)

“This is further to my communication to the International Criminal Court (The Court) dated 27” March 2023, requesting The Court to investigate the series of ethnically motivated violence in the Nigeria presidential and governorship election as well as the conduct of Mr. Bayo Onanuga in inciting ethnic hate that fueled the violence.

“Following the said letter to The Court, I have become aware of additional evidence suggesting the alleged involvement of the additional individuals in inciting the ethnic hate that culminated in the “organised violent attacks” resulting “many casualties and fatalities” to persons from a targeted ethnic group during the said elections. The individuals are:

“1. Mr. Femi Fani-Kayode
“2. Mr. Musiliu Akinsanya (a.k.a MC Oluomo)

“Mr. Fani-Kayode is a prominent politician and a former federal minister in Nigeria. Following the presidential election and prior to the Lagos state governorship election, Mr. Fani-Kayode resorted to inciting ethnic hate against members of the Igbo ethnic group as a tool to achieve his political and ideological interests.

“In a widely publicized column in the media, which had a clear objective of inciting ethnic hate against the Igbos, Mr. Fani-Kayode made incendiary remarks against the group. He made the statement knowing fully well its potential to threaten and result in violence against members of this group, especially in the light of the political and social tension in the country at the time of the publication of his write-up.

“Mr. Fani-Kayode incited ethnic hate against this target group writing: “[w]e gave them land, food and shelter and now they want to take everything from us and rule over us. They have even infiltrated our churches and introduced a brand of religious intolerance which is alien to us.”

“Mr. Musiliu Akinsanya (a.k.a MC Oluomo) is the head of the dreaded National Union of Road Transport Workers — a well-organised and decentralised band of touts and local gangs that operate conspicuously in Lagos.

“Prior to the Lagos state governorship election, he had publicly warned individuals from the Igbo ethnic group about severe consequences should they show up on election day to vote against his ethnic interest.

“His hate speech which was highly publicized and available in the public domain, was made before his cheering gang of political supporters in Lagos. While the serious threat evident from Mr. Akinsanya’s speech was reported to the security agencies in Nigeria, no effort was made by the authorities to address this threat or protect the individuals threatened.

“Rather, in an interview with the Channels TV, the spokesperson for the Nigerian Police dismissed the speech as a “joke”. However, the threat did materialize on March 18% during and after the governorship election when individuals from the Igbo ethnic group and other individuals that ‘looked like them’ were specifically targeted and attacked resulting in several fatalities and casualties.”

Christian works as an Assistant Professor in the Faculty of Law at the University of Calgary.

According to the University of Calgary, “He obtained his law degree (LL.B) from the University of Lagos in Nigeria, an LL.M (with specialization in Law and Technology) and a PhD from the University of Ottawa. During his doctoral studies, Gideon was a SSHRC – Joseph Armand Bombardier Canada Doctoral Scholar.”

“Prior to joining the Faculty of Law at the University of Calgary in August 2019, Gideon worked part-time as an adjunct professor at the Faculty of Law, University of Ottawa, and fulltime as Legal Counsel with the National Litigation Sector at the federal Department of Justice where he conducted electronic discovery in high-profile litigation involving the Government of Canada.”