By Fatima Zahra Muhammad
ASHENEWS reports that the Socio-economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has called on the International Criminal Court (ICC) to investigate cases of political violence that have become rampant with the coming elections.
SERAP in the petition addressed to Karim Khan, ICCProsecutor also called on the ICC to send its delegation to Nigeria to monitor the 2023 elections.
“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.
“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.
“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.” the petition read.
The ICC is the world’s first permanent international criminal court whose mandate is to end impunity globally by delivering international criminal justice.
SERAP had earlier sued the federal government over attacks on some supporters of the Labour Party in Lagos.
SERAP, which disclosed this in a tweet on Saturday said that it is seeking justice and an end to impunity for political violence ahead of the elections.
“We’re suing the Buhari administration over reports of brutal attacks on supporters of the presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi, today in Lagos, to ensure justice and end impunity for political violence ahead of the elections.” the tweet read.
