In a letter dated June 21, 2025, and signed by its deputy director, Kolawole Oluwadare, SERAP urged the president to “urgently refer the situation in Benue State to the International Criminal Court (ICC) for the court to exercise its jurisdiction over the violence and unlawful killings and other serious violations of international humanitarian and human rights law in the state.”
The organisation also advised the president to extend the request to include other states plagued by similar violence.
“Consider referring the situation of other recurring and ongoing violence and other serious violations of international humanitarian and human rights law in other states of Nigeria or requesting the ICC prosecutor to extend any current investigations on Nigeria to cover the situations in those states,” the letter read.
SERAP’s call followed disturbing comments made by the Tor Tiv and Benue’s paramount ruler, Professor James Ayatse, who described the situation in the state as nothing short of genocide.
