Attacks On Opposition: SERAP Seeks ICC Probe Of Election-Related Violence

The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project has asked the International Criminal Court to “promptly seek authorisation from the ICC Chamber to commence an investigation into the situation in Nigeria in relation to the growing cases of pre-election violence, which if not addressed may escalate and lead to post-election violence in the country.”

The petition dated February 11, 2023, was sent to the Prosecutor, ICC, Karim Khan.

The organisation urged Khan to “urgently send the ICC legal team to Nigeria to promote free and fair elections in the country, and gather potential proof of election-related violence before, during and after the general election.”

The petition followed reports of election-related violence in several states including Lagos, Rivers, and Kaduna states.

SERAP said, “Over 4,000 cases of violent attacks and 11,000 fatalities were reported across the country between January 1, 2022 and February 3, 2023 alone,” quoting the Nigeria Election Violence Tracker by the Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project and the Centre for Democracy & Development.

In the petition signed by SERAP’s deputy director Kolawole Oluwadare, the organisation said, “These cases reflect the gravest election-related crimes in several states ahead of the general election.”

SERAP said, “Based on these cases and other similar cases and trends of election violence, we believe that opening an investigation into the situation in Nigeria will be in the interests of justice.”

The petition read in part, “SERAP urges you to seek authorisation from the ICC Chamber to commence an investigation into the situation in Nigeria in relation to election-related violence that may be committed during and after the elections scheduled for February and March 2023.

“SERAP also urges you to identify the suspected perpetrators of election-related violence and those individuals who bear the greatest responsibility for encouraging or facilitating these crimes, and to ensure their effective prosecution by the ICC.

“These are not isolated acts, but part of growing cases of election violence, thus constituting crimes against humanity.”