Crime & Court
After ruling, ICC moves to probe for war crimes in Israeli-Palestinian conflict
The International Criminal Court’s ruling that it has jurisdiction over the situation in the Palestinian territories opens the way to it investigating alleged war crimes committed in the 2014 Israeli-Palestinian conflict in Gaza.
The 50-day war, which devastated the coastal enclave and left 2,251 dead on the Palestinian side, mostly civilians, and 74 on the Israeli side, mostly soldiers, has already been the subject of a five-year preliminary ICC probe and a string of critical reports.
Here is a look at previous reports and probes into the war between the Jewish state and Hamas, the Islamist group that rules Gaza:
ICC preliminary probe
In January 2015, ICC chief prosecutor Fatou Bensouda launched a preliminary examination into whether there was sufficient evidence to warrant opening war crimes investigations into the conflict. The examination involved both Israeli and Palestinian actions.
That long-running probe looked at the 2014 war and later at violence near the Israel-Gaza border in 2018.
In December 2019, the prosecutor said she wanted to open a full investigation, having been “satisfied that war crimes have been or are being committed in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and the Gaza Strip”, without specifying the perpetrators of the alleged crimes.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that position made the Hague-based court, which Israel has refused to sign up to since its creation in 2002, a “political tool” against the Jewish state.
Bensouda said she would first ask the ICC to make a jurisdictional ruling on the matter, due to “unique and highly contested legal and factual issues attaching to this situation”.
On Friday, the ICC ruled it had jurisdiction over the situation in “territories occupied by Israel since 1967, namely Gaza and the West Bank”.
Netanyahu again slammed the court, calling the ruling “anti-Semitic”, while the Palestinians — who became a state party to the court in 2015 — hailed it as “victory for justice”.
UN reports
On June 23, 2015, a report by a UN Commission of Inquiry on the 2014 Gaza conflict says it received “credible allegations” that both Israeli and Palestinian militants committed war crimes during the war.
The report followed a UN Security Council document published on April 27, 2015, that blamed the Israeli military for seven strikes on UN schools in Gaza that were used as shelters. Forty-four people were killed.
The independent experts who compiled the report also found that UN schools, while vacant at the time, were in three cases used to hide Palestinian weapons. In two of the cases, militants probably fired on Israeli soldiers from the establishments, the report found.
Rights groups
International human rights groups, including Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch, also accused both sides of war crimes.
In late 2014, London-based Amnesty said it documented eight instances in which Israeli forces attacked homes in Gaza “without warning”, killing at least 104 civilians, and alleged that the destruction of four multi-storey buildings late in the war breached international humanitarian law.
It also said “Palestinian armed groups also committed war crimes” in indiscriminately firing thousands of rockets into Israel, actions which left six civilians dead.
In May 2015, it accused Hamas, which has ruled Gaza since 2007, of war crimes against fellow Palestinians to “settle scores” during the war, notably the execution of at least 23 people.
US-based Human Rights Watch said in September 2014 that in three cases it examined, Israel caused “numerous civilian casualties in violation of the laws of war”.
The incidents were the separate shellings of two UN schools in northern Gaza on July 24 and 30, and a guided missile strike on another UN school in the southern city of Rafah on August 3.
The attacks killed a total of 45 people including 17 children, HRW said.
Israeli reports and investigations
Israel in June 2015 defended its conduct in the Gaza war as both “lawful” and “legitimate” in a detailed inter-ministerial report.
The authors acknowledged that “numerous civilians were caught in the hostilities”, but they added Israel “did not intentionally target civilians or civilian objects”.
Israeli military authorities carried out their own investigations into the conduct of their troops during the war and in April 2015 announced three soldiers had been charged with looting.
Source: Channels TV
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has declared Yahaya Bello wanted for an alleged financial crime to the tune of N80.2 billion,” Nigeria’s anti-corruption agency announced.
“Former Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello, is wanted by the EFCC for offences relating to economic and financial crimes to the tune of N80.2 Billion,” the EFCC stated in a Thursday evening Facebook post titled ‘Ex-Gov Yahaya Bello Wanted By the EFCC.’
“Anybody with information as to his whereabouts should report immediately to the Commission or the nearest police Station,” the statement continued.
This declaration follows the absence of the chieftain of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) from the Federal High Court in Abuja earlier in the day for a suit instituted against him by the EFCC.
Consequently, Justice Emeka Nwite adjourned the suit and called for substituted service and the possible arraignment of Bello for alleged money laundering.
Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have apprehended a Delhi-bound passenger, Freeman Charles Ogbonna, at the screening point of terminal 2 of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) Ikeja Lagos.
Ogbonna was detained for ingesting 80 wraps of cocaine.
The arrest took place on Sunday, March 31, 2024, as Ogbonna attempted to board a flight to Delhi, India via Doha on Qatar Airways.
He was in possession of a Liberian international passport under the name Carr Bismark.
According to NDLEA spokesman, Femi Babafemi, the suspect underwent a body scan which detected the presence of illicit drugs. Upon further investigation, it was discovered that Ogbonna’s real identity was Freeman Charles Ogbonna.
He was then placed under NDLEA observation, where he began to exhibit signs of discomfort.
“Obviously choked by the volume of illicit drugs in his stomach and another substance taken to hold back excretion, the suspect soon began to retch before starting to vomit and excrete wraps of cocaine he ingested almost simultaneously,” Babafemi stated.
“Over four days, Ogbonna expelled a total of 80 wraps of cocaine weighing 889 grams through his mouth and anus. Despite the grave risk to his life, Ogbonna claimed he was coerced into drug trafficking by a relative. He confessed that he was given the drugs to swallow at a hotel in the Ipodo area of Ikeja, with a promise of a cash reward of N300,000 upon successful delivery of the consignment in India”.
The NDLEA has since detained Ogbonna as investigations continue into the drug trafficking operation.
The Federal High Court in Lagos has set April 9, 2024, as the date to sentence the controversial cross-dresser and social media sensation, Idris Okuneye, popularly known as Bobrisky.
This decision came after Bobrisky pleaded guilty to a four-count charge of Naira abuse brought against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
Justice Abimbola Awogboro, who presided over the case, reserved the date for the sentencing.
The courtroom proceedings commenced promptly at 11:55 am, with Mr. Sulaiman Sulaiman representing the EFCC, and Mr. Ayo Olumofin appearing for the defendant.
During the session, Justice Awogboro directed Bobrisky to uncover his face, previously obscured by a black hijab, which he complied with.
The EFCC initially filed a six-count charge against Bobrisky, but the prosecutor, Sulaiman, requested the court to strike out counts five and six due to an agreement reached with the defendant.
Justice Awogboro granted the request, leaving counts one to four for consideration.
Bobrisky pleaded guilty to each of the four counts, confirming his understanding of the charges brought against him.
The EFCC prosecutor proceeded to present the case’s facts, calling an EFCC Assistant Superintendent, Mr. Bolaji Temitope, as a witness. Temitope outlined how the EFCC became aware of Bobrisky’s actions through intelligence gathering and surveillance of social media activities.
The witness testified to several instances where Bobrisky was observed spraying Naira notes during events, supported by video evidence which was admitted by the court as exhibits.
In a bench ruling, Justice Awogboro convicted Bobrisky as charged, despite his plea for mercy and assertion of ignorance of the law.
Bobrisky, expressing remorse, requested a second chance to educate his followers on the consequences of Naira abuse, citing his substantial social media influence.
His legal counsel urged the court to consider a non-custodial sentence and an option of a fine, highlighting Bobrisky’s commitment to reform.
Sentencing has been adjourned till April 9, with Bobrisky facing the possibility of six months imprisonment, a fine of N50,000, or both, in accordance with Section 21(1) of the CBN Act 2007.
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