New INEC Chairman Prof. Joash Amupitan once tagged Nigeria’s violent killings as genocide in a detailed legal brief.

‎Fresh details have emerged about Prof. Joash Ojo Amupitan (SAN), the newly appointed Chairman of Nigeria’s Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), following revelations that he authored a 2020 legal report describing the country’s violent killings as acts of genocide.

‎According to a report by SaharaReporters, Amupitan wrote a legal brief titled “Genocide in Nigeria – The Implications for the International Community,” which formed part of a publication known as “Nigeria’s Silent Slaughter.” The report was released by the International Committee on Nigeria (ICON), a global coalition advocating for human rights and religious freedom.

‎Signed under his law firm, Prof. Joash Ojo Amupitan (SAN) & Co., with offices in Jos and Abuja, the document confirms his authorship years before his recent appointment by President Bola Tinubu.

‎In the report, Amupitan alleged that crimes against humanity, war crimes, and genocide were being committed across parts of Nigeria, especially targeting Christians and ethnic minorities. 

He accused the government of neglecting its constitutional duty to protect citizens and prosecute offenders, warning that Nigeria risked repeating the tragic mistakes of Rwanda and Sudan.

‎“The victims of these crises are mainly the Christian population and minority ethnic groups in Nigeria,” he wrote, stressing the need for “urgent international intervention.”

‎Amupitan pointed to Boko Haram and armed Fulani herdsmen as major perpetrators of the violence, lamenting that while Boko Haram had been designated a terrorist group since 2013, Fulani herdsmen had not received the same classification despite their alleged atrocities.

‎Tracing the historical roots of religious conflict, he linked the violence to the 1804 Jihad of Uthman Dan Fodio, which he described as the beginning of an “Islamization agenda” that continues to influence Nigeria’s northern region.

‎He also accused the Nigerian government of deliberately avoiding the term “genocide” to escape global accountability.

‎“States often hide behind sovereignty to avoid committing resources to stop genocide,” he wrote.

‎Concluding his brief, Amupitan appealed to the United Nations and global powers to step in, insisting that international law overrides state sovereignty in cases involving genocide or crimes against humanity.

‎“In today’s globalised world, state sovereignty gives way to the collective interests of the global community,” he stated.

‎Amupitan’s past writings have now stirred public debate over his views and the implications of his appointment as Nigeria’s new electoral umpire.