By Boluwatife Adedokun
Summary
A viral social media post claims that the International Criminal Court (ICC) has issued an arrest warrant for Nigeria’s Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, over sexual harassment allegations made by Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan.
This claim is false. The ICC does not handle cases of sexual harassment, and there is no official record of an arrest warrant against Akpabio.
Story:
The controversy between Senate President Godswill Akpabio and Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan intensified in March 2025 when Natasha publicly accused Akpabio of sexual harassment.
In response, the Senate suspended Natasha for six months, leading her to file a ₦100 billion defamation lawsuit against Akpabio and one of his aides.
Following these events, Natasha addressed the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) in New York, alleging that her suspension was a retaliatory act.
This sparked protests at the National Assembly, with demonstrators either supporting Akpabio or demanding his resignation.
Amidst the tension, a viral post by All-Hubs on March 24, 2025, claimed:
“In a shocking development, the International Criminal Court (ICC) has issued an international arrest warrant for Nigerian Senate President Godswill Akpabio, placing him on its sanctions list.”
As of April 3rd, the post has 10 likes, 14, comments and 36 shares.
The claim was also posted through other channels, like this one, this and this
The post further alleged that the ICC had reviewed video evidence and urged President Bola Tinubu’s administration to take action.
Verification:
Fact-checking efforts included searching the ICC’s official website, including its press releases and case listings, to verify the claim. No evidence of an arrest warrant against Akpabio was found.
The ICC’s mandate primarily covers serious international crimes such as genocide, war crimes, crimes against humanity, and crimes of aggression. Sexual harassment cases fall outside its jurisdiction.
Further investigations into credible news platforms also yielded no reports confirming an ICC warrant against Akpabio.
While the ICC has previously issued warrants for political figures, such as Israel’s Benjamin Netanyahu and Libya’s Osama Almasri Najim, these were related to grave human rights violations and war crimes, not personal misconduct allegations.
Verdict:
False. The viral claim that the ICC issued an arrest warrant for Senate President Godswill Akpabio is not supported by any credible evidence. Sexual harassment cases are beyond the ICC’s jurisdiction, making the claim baseless and misleading.
This fact-check is vital for preventing the spread of misinformation, particularly when it involves high-profile figures like Senate President Godswill Akpabio. By clarifying the false claim that the ICC issued an arrest warrant, we help protect public trust and ensure that individuals are not misled by fabricated stories. It also highlights the importance of understanding the ICC’s jurisdiction and encourages responsible sharing of information on social media. Ultimately, this fact-check upholds accuracy and integrity in public discourse.
This verification has been produced with support from BO Foundation for Inclusive Media (BOFIM) and WITNESS.
