Former Kaduna Central Senator, Shehu Sani, has warned against efforts to undermine the International Criminal Court (ICC), arguing that weakening the global tribunal could leave countries relying solely on domestic courts to prosecute genocide and crimes against humanity.

Sani made the comment in a post shared on his official X handle, on Tuesday, following criticism of the ICC by United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who accused the court of threatening American sovereignty and vowed that the U.S. administration would resist what he described as interference by foreign institutions.

In his statement, Sani cautioned that the collapse of the ICC would create a situation where countries would only recognise their own judicial systems in addressing international crimes.

READ ALSO: Rubio Accuses ICC of Threatening US Sovereignty, Vows American Resistance

“Once they succeed in destroying the International Criminal Court, the only Court they will recognise and use to try genocide and Crime against humanity committed anywhere in the World will be the Courts of their home country; under their judicial system,” Sani said.

He described such a scenario as “the Maduro solution”, referencing Venezuela’s President Nicolás Maduro, whose government has faced international scrutiny over alleged human rights violations and disputes involving external investigations.

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The former lawmaker’s comments came after Rubio, in a video shared on his X handle, criticised the ICC, accusing it of attempting to interfere with America’s legal and political affairs.

Rubio said the United States had governed itself as a sovereign nation for 250 years and would not allow foreign institutions to take control of its laws or judicial processes.

“The American people never agreed to any of this, and they never will,” Rubio said, adding that the U.S. would not allow “foreign bureaucrats” to threaten its independence.

The U.S. Secretary of State also accused the ICC of moving beyond its original purpose of prosecuting grave international offences such as genocide and war crimes, describing it as “a global tribunal staffed by unelected globalist bureaucrats who claim their power is almost unlimited.”