The International Criminal Court has dismissed an anonymous petition seeking an investigation into alleged systemic kidnappings in Nigeria as crimes against humanity.

The petition, filed under Document Number ICC-RoC46(3)-01/26, was dismissed by the ICC Pre-Trial Chamber II on September 1, 2026.

The Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, said the application was rejected because it was not properly before the court and lacked a legal basis.

Fagbemi, in a statement by his Special Adviser on Communication and Publicity, Kamarudeen Ogundele, said the Federal Government was concerned that the petition had initially been processed despite being submitted anonymously.

He said Nigeria had made representations to the ICC over the matter, stressing that the investigation of crimes such as kidnapping and banditry remained primarily the responsibility of Nigerian law enforcement and judicial institutions.

The Attorney-General also assured Nigerians and the international community that no investigation had been opened by the ICC against Nigeria, and that the court had made no adverse finding against the Federal Government or its institutions.