Tinubu transmits bills on war crimes, genocide to Reps
President Bola Tinubu has transmitted two bills to the House of Representatives seeking to strengthen Nigeria’s legal framework for prosecuting genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity. The bills are the Geneva…
Nigeria's current legal framework for addressing atrocity crimes dates back to the Geneva Conventions Act, which domesticated the 1949 Geneva Conventions on the conduct of armed conflict but has long been criticised as outdated and insufficient for prosecuting modern war crimes, genocide and crimes against humanity. Nigeria is also a signatory to the Rome Statute establishing the International Criminal Court (ICC), yet its domestic laws have not fully aligned with the Statute's provisions, limiting the country's capacity to independently try such offences rather than ceding jurisdiction to The Hague.
The push for updated legislation comes against the backdrop of Nigeria's prolonged conflicts, including the Boko Haram and ISWAP insurgency in the North-East, banditry and communal violence in the North-West and Middle Belt, and separatist agitations in the South-East — situations where allegations of mass atrocities by both state and non-state actors have drawn scrutiny from international bodies. By proposing to repeal and replace the Geneva Conventions Act, the executive appears to be seeking clearer statutory powers to prosecute such crimes domestically and deepen cooperation with the ICC. Details on the specific penalties proposed, the bills' sponsors in the Senate, and a timeline for passage have not yet been reported.