By John Mose
The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has urged Nigerian President Bola Tinubu to formally refer the escalating violence in Benue State to the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague.
In an open letter dated 21 June 2025, signed by Deputy Director Kolawole Oluwadare, the human rights organisation stressed that a referral would enable the ICC to exercise jurisdiction over what it described as widespread unlawful killings and grave breaches of international law.
The appeal comes amid worsening insecurity in Benue, a state in north-central Nigeria frequently rocked by deadly attacks on civilians. SERAP argued that international intervention is essential to ensure accountability where domestic mechanisms have consistently failed.
“The Nigerian government has a legal and moral duty to seek justice for victims of mass killings and grave human rights abuses,” the letter read. “Referring the situation in Benue to the ICC will show a genuine commitment to end impunity.”
SERAP further urged the Tinubu administration to extend any ongoing ICC investigations in Nigeria to other affected states, including Zamfara, Borno, Sokoto, Plateau, Kebbi, and Taraba, where serious human rights violations have also been reported.
Highlighting the Rome Statute—the founding treaty of the ICC—SERAP noted that Article 14 empowers state parties, including Nigeria, to submit situations of concern for investigation, without requiring immediate evidence.
The group warned that failure to act could embolden perpetrators—both state and non-state actors—to commit atrocities with impunity, fuelling further instability.
According to SERAP, an ICC probe could also extend to those shielded from prosecution under national laws, such as high-ranking officials allegedly complicit in serious abuses.
“Nigeria wouldn’t be the first to take this step. Countries like Mali, Uganda, and the Central African Republic have all made referrals to the ICC. This is a moment for leadership and justice,” the organisation concluded.
