By Comfort Nkong
In a bid to tackle organized crime in Nigeria, Eurojust and the Attorney General of Nigeria, Mr Lateef Olasunkanmi Fagbemi, SAN, have signed on a Working Arrangement to enable structured and closer cooperation in the fight against organised crime groups (OCGs).
A statement from the Eurojust press team says this paves the way for the establishment of a Contact Point for Eurojust in Nigeria and closer communication for the swifter execution of requests for judicial cooperation on both sides. Nigeria is the first sub-Saharan African country to sign a Working Arrangement with the Agency.
The signing took place during the two-day Conference on Transnational Organised Crime affecting West Africa and Europe at the premises of Eurojust in The Hague. The conference, which brought together judicial and law enforcement authorities from eight West African countries and most of the national authorities represented at Eurojust, was organised by the Agency in cooperation with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and the Siracusa International Institute for Criminal Justice and Human Rights.
Nigeria is the first sub-Saharan African country to sign this arrangement with Eurojust.
The President of Eurojust, Mr Ladislav Hamran said: “As the international dimension of organised crime continues to grow, today’s signing of a Working Arrangement with Nigeria offers a further basis for strengthening our cooperation. It is therefore of prime importance for Eurojust and it will undoubtedly benefit both our sides”..
On his part, the Attorney General of Nigeria, Mr Lateef Olasunkanmi Fagbemi, SAN, stated: The Working Arrangement with Eurojust will enhance our cooperation. He called for teamwork to explore innovative solutions, best practices and new partnerships adding that “our collective strength and resolve are the keys to making a real difference in the fight against transnational organised crime”.
Also speaking, Mr Oliver Stolpe, UNODC Country Representative in Nigeria, said: Over these past five years, I have witnessed some very tangible and encouraging changes in the way we cooperate. Today, with the signing of the Working Arrangement, we are witnessing yet another milestone in and building bridges – bridges across which today we might still walk with some sense of caution wondering whether they will hold, but across which – and of that I am certain – future generations of prosecutors will run with confidence.
The Working Agreement includes arrangements for the exchange of strategic information and communication with the Contact Point, as well as data protection provisions and have as of November 9 come into force
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