President Bola Tinubu has submitted two bills to Nigeria’s House of Representatives aimed at strengthening the country’s legal system for prosecuting genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity. The proposed legislation seeks to replace the existing Geneva Conventions Act, incorporate important international legal agreements into Nigerian law, establish penalties for serious international crimes and improve the country’s cooperation with the International Criminal Court. In a letter dated 6 October and addressed to the Speaker of the House, Abbas Tajudeen, the president formally presented the bills for consideration. The letter, titled Transmission of the Geneva Conventions and Additional Protocols Bill, 2026 and the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (Enforcement) Bill, 2026 for consideration, was read during Tuesday’s plenary session in accordance with Section 58(2) of the 1999 Constitution, as amended
President Bola Tinubu, citing Section 58(2) of Nigeria’s 1999 Constitution, as amended, submitted the Geneva Conventions and Additional Protocols Bill, 2026, and the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (Enforcement) Bill, 2026, to the House of Representatives for consideration. He explained that the Geneva Conventions bill aims to repeal the existing Geneva Conventions Act, Cap. G3, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004, and incorporate the four Geneva Conventions adopted on 12 August 1949, along with two Additional Protocols introduced on 8 June 1977, into Nigerian law. These international agreements establish guidelines for protecting people during armed conflicts, including wounded and sick military personnel, prisoners of war and civilians. The Additional Protocols further strengthen these protections and outline additional rules on the conduct of hostilities.
The proposed legislation is intended to modernise Nigeria’s domestic laws to ensure compliance with its obligations under international humanitarian law. The second bill, known as the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (Enforcement) Bill, 2026, seeks to incorporate the Rome Statute, which established the International Criminal Court (ICC), into Nigerian law. It also aims to establish legal provisions for prosecuting and punishing genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes and other related offences in the country. Additionally, the bill would provide a legal framework for Nigeria to cooperate with the ICC in fulfilling its responsibilities. Genocide refers to acts committed with the intention of destroying, entirely or partially, a national, ethnic, racial or religious group. Crimes against humanity involve widespread or systematic attacks directed at civilian populations, whereas war crimes refer to serious breaches of the rules governing armed conflicts.
The International Criminal Court (ICC) prosecutes individuals accused of these serious crimes when they fall within its jurisdiction. The proposed Nigerian laws aim to improve the country’s ability to prosecute such offences through its own legal system while strengthening collaboration with the international court. President Tinubu appealed to the House of Representatives to review and consider the bills promptly. In his letter, he expressed confidence in the House’s timely consideration of the proposals and conveyed his respect to the Speaker. The bills will now undergo legislative review by Nigeria’s National Assembly.
