Senate Confirms Buratai, Olonisakin, Others As Ambassadors
President Buhari had on February 4, 2020, sent their names to the Senate for confirmation as non-career ambassadors.
Nigeria’s Senate on Tuesday confirmed former Army Chief of Staff Tukur Buratai, former Defense Chief of Staff Gabriel Olonisakin, former Air Force Chief of Staff Ibok Ibas and former Navy Chief of Staff Abubakar Sadique as non-career ambassadors.
On February 4, 2020, President Buhari sent their names to the Senate for confirmation as non-career ambassadors.
Many Nigerians and Civil Society Organisations had condemned the nomination of the former service chiefs as non-career ambassadors.
Some Nigerians and groups have also asked the International Criminal Court (ICC) to try them for alleged abuses committed by the ex-service chiefs while in office.
A coalition of civil societies had petitioned 31 foreign missions in Nigeria asking them to disqualify the former service chiefs and declare them persona non grata in their countries.
SaharaReporters learnt that the petition was addressed to the foreign missions through their Ambassadors and High Commissioners as well as the Head of the European Union Delegation to Nigeria and the United Nations.
The coalition said the step was taken due to the alleged war crimes, massacres, and gross human rights violations perpetrated by the former military chiefs, particularly Buratai, under whose watch the Obigbo, Lekki, and Zaria massacres, among others, took place at various times.
The countries petitioned to include the Netherlands, Finland, Poland, Federal Republic of Germany, France, Spain, Czech Republic, Italy, Belgium, Denmark, Portugal, Greece, Austria, Hungary, Bulgaria, Slovakia, and Sweden.
Others include the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, the United States, Israel, Norway, Ireland, Switzerland, Brazil, Japan, South Korea, and Mexico.
