…Seeks Arrest Warrant Against Uba Sani For “Crimes Against Democracy”
Senator representing Kaduna Central, Lawal Adamu Usman, has petitioned the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague, demanding the issuance of an arrest warrant against Kaduna State Governor, Uba Sani, over the arrest and detention of opposition figures during the August 16 Chikun/Kajuru Federal Constituency by-election.
Usman accused the governor of orchestrating the clampdown on the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, Princess Esther Asheu Velli Dawaki, and several party leaders, who were arrested by operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on the eve of the poll.
In his petition dated August 26, 2025, and addressed to the ICC Prosecutor, the lawmaker alleged that the PDP candidate remains in unlawful detention under the governor’s directive, describing the incident as an “attack on democracy and a systematic persecution of the opposition.”
According to him, in the early hours of election day, heavily armed operatives stormed the hotel accommodation of PDP officials, arrested Dawaki and the party’s Campaign DG, Alhaji Shehu Aliyu Patange, and confiscated ₦26 million meant for election logistics.
He claimed that no fewer than 25 other PDP chieftains — including the state secretary, zonal chairman, women leaders, and a House of Assembly member — were also picked up in what he described as a “commando-style operation” aimed at intimidating the opposition and manipulating the outcome of the poll.
“The governor bears direct command responsibility for these acts, as security and anti-graft agencies acted under his political directive to unlawfully detain and persecute opposition figures,” Usman said in his petition, which was affirmed under oath.
The senator argued that the crackdown violated the Peace Accord signed by political parties in the state, while citing Article 7 of the Rome Statute to back his claims that the arrests and intimidation amounted to crimes against humanity — specifically, political persecution.
He therefore urged the ICC to investigate, establish criminal liability, and issue a warrant of arrest against Governor Sani “to deter further abuse of state power in Kaduna State.”
Affidavits, media reports, and documents allegedly linking the governor to the arrests were attached to the petition.
As of press time, Governor Sani and his media team had yet to respond to the allegations.
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