Nation
SERAP Urges Tinubu to Refer Benue Killings to International Criminal Court
The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to urgently refer the deteriorating security situation in Benue State to the International Criminal Court (ICC), citing repeated mass killings, forced displacements, and widespread violations of international humanitarian and human rights law.
In a letter dated June 21, 2025, and signed by SERAP Deputy Director, Kolawole Oluwadare, the rights group said that Tinubu’s government has a responsibility under both domestic and international law to ensure justice and accountability for victims of grave human rights violations in Benue and other affected states across Nigeria.
“Referring the Benue situation to the ICC will align with your commitment to ‘hunt down the perpetrators of the attacks and bring them to justice, deliver justice for victims and restore peace in the state,’” the letter stated.
The call comes amid renewed violence in the state, with reports of at least 100 people killed in attacks on Yelewata and Dauda communities. According to the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), the assaults displaced more than 3,000 people, while dozens remain injured, missing, or without adequate medical care.
Paramount ruler and Tor Tiv, Professor James Ayatse, had previously described the crisis as a “calculated, well-planned, full-scale genocidal invasion and land-grabbing campaign” by armed herders and bandits, ongoing for decades and worsening each year.
SERAP emphasized that domestic justice mechanisms have so far proven inadequate in dealing with the scale of violence in Benue and other crisis-ridden states, such as Zamfara, Sokoto, Kebbi, Plateau, Taraba, and Borno.
The organization urged President Tinubu to either refer the Benue situation to the ICC under Article 14 of the Rome Statute or request the ICC Prosecutor to expand ongoing investigations in Nigeria to include Benue and other affected areas.
“The referral would empower the ICC Prosecutor to investigate crimes committed in Benue without requiring authorization from the Pre-Trial Chamber,” SERAP noted. “It would also facilitate access to evidence that may be difficult for national security agencies to obtain, while demonstrating Nigeria’s commitment to ending impunity.”
SERAP warned that failure to act would embolden perpetrators, whether state or non-state actors, to continue committing atrocities unchecked.
“The ICC has jurisdiction over war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide. It can investigate even individuals who may be immune under Nigerian law, including those occupying the highest levels of political or military office,” the group said.
Citing precedents from countries like Uganda, Mali, Gabon, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and the Central African Republic, SERAP reminded Tinubu that Nigeria would not be the first to refer a case to the ICC.
“Justice is not optional—it is essential. A referral would not only strengthen Nigeria’s commitment to international law but also bolster the capacity of its domestic justice system to prevent and address such crimes,” the letter added.
SERAP gave the president seven days to take action, warning that if the federal government fails to refer the case, the organization may approach other states parties to the Rome Statute to initiate the referral on Nigeria’s behalf, as was done in the case of Venezuela.
The group also reminded the president of his earlier remarks that “the value of human life is greater than that of a cow,” and urged him to follow through on that sentiment with concrete legal and diplomatic steps.
“Referring the situation in Benue to the ICC would be a powerful signal to the victims, their families, and the international community that Nigeria is serious about ending mass atrocities and bringing justice to those who have long suffered in silence,” SERAP concluded.