Nigeria says it has no intention to leave ICC

By Rafiu Ajakaye

SOKOTO, Nigeria

Nigeria said on Thursday it had no intention of leaving the International Criminal Court (ICC).

"Nigeria, as a party to the Rome Statute, believes that the court represents an international mechanism for ensuring justice for all," Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Jane Adams said in a statement in the capital Abuja amid worries that the country may join its African neighbors in leaving the Hague court.

Burundi, Gambia and South Africa have recently said they were withdrawing from the body -- a decision that has drawn concerns globally regarding the future of the court.

But Abuja insisted that the court represented the "hope and aspirations" for justice of millions of people around the world.

Nigeria is a signatory to the Rome Statute which became operational in 2002.