ICC

By Anas Abbas

The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has urgently called on President Bola Tinubu to refer the ongoing violence and killings in Benue State to the International Criminal Court (ICC).

This action is deemed essential to ensure justice for victims and hold those responsible accountable for what SERAP describes as serious violations of international law.

In a statement released on Sunday, SERAP’s Deputy Director, Kolawole Oluwadare, emphasized that such a referral would demonstrate the President’s commitment to human rights and the rule of law.

SERAP urged the President to “quickly refer the situation in Benue State to the ICC, allowing the court to exercise its jurisdiction over the violence, unlawful killings, and other grave breaches of international humanitarian and human rights law occurring in the region.”

The organization also encouraged the President to consider extending this referral to encompass other areas in Nigeria experiencing similar violence and serious human rights violations.

They suggested that he could request the ICC prosecutor to broaden any current investigations regarding Nigeria to include these situations.

SERAP stated, “Referring the situation in Benue State to the ICC would align with your expressed 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 organization stressed the urgent need for accountability for these violent acts, regardless of whether the perpetrators are state or non-state actors.

They warned that any hesitation to refer the situation to the ICC would only embolden those responsible for these attacks to act with impunity, as many have yet to face justice.

SERAP explained that referring the crisis in Benue to the ICC is a straightforward process for the Nigerian government.

They noted that Article 14 of the Rome Statute does not impose an evidentiary burden on Nigeria.

Any referral made by the government would obligate the ICC prosecutor to either initiate an investigation or assess whether there is sufficient basis for doing so.

The group pointed out that several African nations have successfully referred cases to the ICC in the past, encouraging Nigeria to follow suit.

They highlighted that countries like Gabon, Mali, Uganda, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and the Central African Republic have previously made such referrals.

In a show of urgency, SERAP has set a one-week deadline for action, warning that if the Nigerian government fails to respond, other ICC member states may intervene.

They reminded President Tinubu that the ICC is fully empowered to investigate and prosecute crimes of this nature, stating, “The ICC has jurisdiction over those most responsible for international crimes, including war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide. The provisions of the Rome Statute allow your government to refer the situation in Benue to the court.”

By Muhammad Abubakar

The International Criminal Court’s (ICC) chief prosecutor, Karim Khan, has temporarily stepped down from his duties as an investigation into allegations of sexual misconduct against him gets underway.

According to a report by The Wall Street Journal, a junior staff member has accused Mr Khan of forcing himself on her—an allegation he strongly denies. The ICC has not released further details but confirmed that Mr Khan would take a leave of absence to allow for an impartial probe.

Mr Khan has recently been at the centre of international legal proceedings, having sought arrest warrants for leaders of both Israel and Hamas over alleged war crimes committed during the ongoing conflict in Gaza.

In his absence, the ICC announced that Khan’s two deputies will assume his responsibilities to ensure continuity in the Court’s operations.

The investigation is ongoing.