A human rights advocacy group,  Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project, says it has petitioned the International Criminal Court to investigate the growing cases of violence in Nigeria ahead of the forthcoming general election.

In a statement on Sunday by its Deputy Director, Kolawole Oludare, the group said the country had witnessed no fewer than  4,000 cases of violent attacks and 11,000 fatalities between  January 1, 2022 and February 3, 2023 and if not addressed,  the pre-election violence might escalate and lead to post-election violence in the country.

The petition dated February 11, 2023, was addressed to the ICC Prosecutor, Mr Karim Khan. SERAP 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 elections.

According to the organisation, the petition followed reports of election-related violence in several states, including Lagos, Rivers and Kaduna states.