NEWS
ICC Issues Arrest Warrant For Putin
The International Criminal Court (ICC) has taken the unprecedented step of issuing arrest warrants for Russian President Vladimir Putin and his commissioner for children’s rights, Maria Lvova-Belova.
The warrants are related to allegations of war crimes committed by Russia, including the forced taking of Ukrainian children.
The court said in a news release on Friday the two are “allegedly responsible for the war crime of unlawful deportation of population (children) and that of unlawful transfer of population (children) from occupied areas of Ukraine to the Russian Federation.”
The move by the Hague’s criminal court has marked a significant step by requesting the arrest of a sitting world leader, though analysts admit that the chances of actually arresting President Putin are slim.
However, officials in Moscow were quick to point out that Russia has never signed on as a party to the ICC and have therefore dismissed the charges outright.
“The very question itself is outrageous and unacceptable,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said. “Russia, like a number of other states, does not recognize the jurisdiction of this court, and therefore any of its decisions are insignificant for the Russian Federation from a legal viewpoint.”
Andriy Kostin, the Ukrainian Prosecutor General, has hailed the criminal court’s decision as “historic.”
Despite Ukraine not being a party to the ICC, Kostin emphasized that the government has cooperated with the court on criminal investigations within its territory.
He also disclosed that his office provided the ICC with over 1,000 pages of documents regarding the alleged forcible deportation of children to Russia.
Last month, a report by Yale University researchers and the U.S. State Department alleged that the Russian government is operating a systematic network of custody centers holding thousands of Ukrainian children.
While Russian officials have acknowledged the arrival of Ukrainian children in the country, they have claimed that the centers are part of a large humanitarian program designed to care for abandoned or war-traumatized orphans.
ICC President Piotr Hofmanski said the judges decided to make these warrants public to try to deter further crimes.
“It is forbidden by international law for occupying powers to transfer civilians from the territories where they live to other territories,” he said. “Children enjoy special protection under the Geneva Convention.”
“I hoped (this would happen), but I didn’t know it would be this quick,” said Nathaniel Raymond, executive director of the Yale Humanitarian Research Lab.
“This is a stunning move by the court, which has moved right to the top of the Russian state,” said David Bosco, author of Rough Justice: The International Criminal Court in a World of Power Politics.
However, Bosco cautioned, “The arrest warrant won’t have immediate implications because no trial can move forward without Putin being in custody and there’s no chance of that happening in the near future.”
While the possibility of trying Putin remains a difficult task, human rights advocates have welcomed the news as a major step forward.
“This is a big day for the many victims of crimes committed by Russian forces in Ukraine since 2014,” Human Rights Watch said in a statement. “With these arrest warrants, the ICC has made Putin a wanted man and taken its first step to end the impunity that has emboldened perpetrators in Russia’s war against Ukraine for far too long.”
Amnesty International has called on countries to deny safe haven for Putin and Lvova-Belova by arresting them and handing them over to the ICC.
The organization also predicted that further arrest warrants may be issued for Russian leaders as the investigations into war crimes in Ukraine continue to develop.
Despite Russia’s vehement rejection of allegations of war crimes committed by its forces in Ukraine, the country has made little secret of its relocation of Ukrainian children to Russia.
The Russian government has presented the move as a noble humanitarian effort, while critics have raised concerns about the conditions in which the children are being kept.
In February, President Putin hosted a meeting at the Kremlin with Lvova-Belova, the children’s rights commissioner, during which they openly discussed Russian adoption programs for Ukrainian children in occupied territories of Ukraine, including Lvova-Belova’s own teenage son.
A transcript of the conversation is posted on the Kremlin’s website.
“You also adopted a child from Mariupol, is that right?” asked Putin.
“Yes, Vladimir Vladimirovich,” Lvova-Belova responded, using the Russian leader’s patronymic. “Thanks to you.”
Ukraine’s decision to halt adoptions after Russia’s invasion of the country is a significant admission. International children’s rights groups have argued that countries have a legal obligation under international law to prohibit adoptions of Ukrainian children during wartime.
Vice President Kashim Shettima has urged Nigerians to celebrate President Bola Tinubu, saying his leadership saved the country from a potential implosion.
Shettima said Nigeria’s economy had been teetering on the edge of collapse before Tinubu’s intervention, adding that the country could have faced a different situation.
“The economy was teetering on the edge of collapse, we were on a cliff edge,” the Vice President said.
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“So he literally saved the nation from an implosion. That could have been the scenario. So, instead of demonizing him, Nigerians ought to celebrate this poor man.”
Shettima also called for a return to the drawing board, expressing confidence in the leadership’s commitment and the prospects for the 2027 elections.
“I believe on the bottom of my heart that with this presentation I have seen, and with the commitment of our leadership, by the grace of God, we are going to win,” he said.
Speaking about the 2027 elections, the Vice President reminded his audience that social media platforms should not be mistaken for actual polling stations.
“There are no polling stations on Facebook or Instagram,” he said.
Shettima also expressed gratitude for the efforts made towards promoting the cause of the 2027 elections.
Following observed mis-steps, the Federal Government of Nigeria has withdrawn the eight-count criminal charge brought against the alleged fake Director General (DG) of the Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC), Adeniyi Adeyemi.
Biztellers reports that the matter, in accordance with the counsel of the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Prince Lateef Olasunkanmi Fagbemi, (SAN), the matter will be filed at the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), instead of the Federal High Court (FHC).
Consequently, upon an unopposed application for termination by the prosecution counsel and Director of the Public Prosecution of the Federation (DPPF), Rotimi Oyedepo (SAN), on Monday, Justice Mohammed Umar of a Federal High Court, Abuja on Monday, struck out the matter.
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In a motion for the termination of the charges, Oyedepo informed the court that the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice has carried out a review of the case file of Adeyemi and the charge filed by the Inspector General of Police (IGP) and found some loopholes.
The DPPF added that the documents allegedly forged by Adeyemi during his operations of the fake agency are those that can be prosecuted by the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
He also informed the court that a new charge has been filed at the High Court of the FCT and that Adeyemi would be expeditiously arraigned afresh.
He therefore urged the judge to strike out the charge as required by law.
Following no objections from Ibrahim Angulu (SAN), who stood in for Adeyemi, Justice Umar subsequently terminated the charge.
Adeniyi, 38, was being tried alongside two others whose whereabouts are unknown, on charges bordering on conspiracy and forgery.
The two others said to be at large were identified as Femi (surname unknown) and Anu (surname unknown).
The charge marked: FHC/ABJ/CR/25/2025, was entered against the defendant by the DPPF.
To secure a bright energy for her teeming population, Nigeria must sustain the momentum of reform, accelerate investment, and deepen partnerships.
This view was expressed by Managing Director, Shell Nigeria Exploration and Production Company of Nigeria Limited (SNEPCo) Ronald Adams in Lagos at the weekend.
Delivering a keynote address at the Africa Energy Conference (AEC) of the Lagos Business School (LBS), Adams called for regulatory certainty through efficient execution of reforms, sustained investment appeal to enable projects to move more swiftly from opportunity to production and partnership by operators, regulators, NNPC Limited and communities to unlock the full value of Nigeria’s resources.
Adams cited Nigeria’s huge oil and gas resources as an advantage but pointed out: “Resources alone do not guarantee prosperity. Prosperity comes when resources are matched with investment, technology, sound policy and disciplined execution. Success will be determined not by the size of our resources, but by our ability to convert them into investment and economic growth.”
Adams pledged the support of Shell towards a bright energy future of Nigerians. He said: “For more than six decades, Shell has been part of Nigeria’s energy journey. Together with our partners, we have helped develop major energy infrastructure, supported Nigerian businesses, invested in talent, and contributed to economic development. Bonga remains a powerful example of what technology, partnership and Nigerian capability can achieve in deepwater operations. Today, that story continues through Bonga North.”
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Issuing a clarion call for action by all stakeholders, he added: “The world is not standing still. Capital is moving, technology is advancing and competition is intensifying. The countries that attract investment tomorrow are those that improve competitiveness today. Nigeria has begun that journey. Our task is to sustain the momentum and translate reform into projects, projects into growth, and growth into shared prosperity.”
The conference, the 4th in the series had at its theme; “Securing Nigeria’s Energy Future: Policy Reform, Capital Mobilisation, and Pathways to a Sustainable Power and Energy Market” and was attended by top government officials, industry captains, energy professionals, and students.
Lagos State Deputy Governor Obafemi Hamzat represented Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu as the guest of honour. SNEPCo was a principal sponsor of the Africa Energy Conference (AEC) and mounted a well-received exhibition on its deepwater operations and social investments across Nigeria.
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