The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has called on President Bola Tinubu to urgently refer the escalating violence and human rights violations in Benue State to the International Criminal Court (ICC). The organization urged the President to seek ICC intervention over what it describes as widespread and systematic violence, including unlawful killings and grave breaches of international humanitarian and human rights laws.
In a letter dated June 21, 2025, signed by its Deputy Director, Kolawole Oluwadare, SERAP also called on the President to consider extending such referrals to other states facing similar crises, or alternatively, request the ICC Prosecutor to broaden any ongoing investigations into Nigeria to cover these regions.
Citing a recent statement by Professor James Ayatse, the Tor Tiv and paramount ruler of Benue, SERAP emphasized the gravity of the situation. Ayatse reportedly described the ongoing violence as a “calculated, well-planned, full-scale genocidal invasion and land-grabbing campaign” carried out by terrorist herders and bandits, which has persisted and worsened over decades.
SERAP stressed that the Nigerian government has a legal and moral responsibility to ensure accountability, justice, and reparations for victims. Referring the Benue situation to the ICC, the organization said, would affirm Tinubu’s stated commitment to bring perpetrators to justice and restore peace to the region.
“Accountability is critical regardless of whether the perpetrators are state or non-state actors,” the group stated. “Failure to act will only embolden those responsible to continue their crimes with impunity.”
The letter further argued that domestic mechanisms have proven inadequate, especially given allegations of complicity by some state actors. It noted that under Article 14 of the Rome Statute, to which Nigeria is a party, the country is empowered to refer such situations to the ICC without bearing the burden of providing evidence at the initial stage.
Highlighting the precedent set by other African nations like Uganda, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and the Central African Republic, SERAP noted that such referrals have helped advance justice where national systems have fallen short.
According to SERAP, recent attacks in Benue, including those in Yelewata and Dauda communities, have left at least 100 people dead, with thousands displaced. Many victims were reportedly burned alive, and dozens remain missing or injured without access to adequate medical care. The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) estimates that over 3,000 people have been displaced by the violence.
Since 2019, violent clashes in the region have reportedly killed more than 500 people and displaced approximately 2.2 million. In light of these figures, SERAP urged Tinubu to act within seven days of receiving the letter, warning that failure to do so would prompt the organization to seek referral through other state parties to the Rome Statute.
“A referral to the ICC would not only send a strong message that these crimes will not go unpunished but also strengthen the domestic justice system and reassure victims that justice will be served,” the letter concluded.
