Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami (SAN) said the Federal Government is committed to domestication of the Rome Statute.
Malami made this known in Netherlands, yesterday, while delivering Nigeria’s Country Statement at the 21st Session of the Assembly of States Parties to the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court, The Hague. This was disclosed in a statement issued to newsmen by Dr. Umar Jibrilu Gwandu, Special Assistant on Media and Public Relations, Office of Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice. According to the statement Malami disclosed that the National Assembly is working assiduously with the Office of the Attorney General to achieve the domestication drive.
The minister said Nigeria firmly believes in the rule of law as a panacea to a just and equitable world, noting that the country has continued to uphold her obligations under international law.
Malami pointed out that the Federal Government has not reneged on its pledge to extend maximum cooperation to the Office of the Prosecutor (OTP) of the court in addressing allegations of crimes against humanity committed within its territory. He said: “There has been increased exchange of communications between the Federal Government of Nigeria and the OTP, and Nigeria has appointed a focal point, specifically designated to respond to all requests bothering on criminal law and prosecution issues.” According to Malami, the development has aided seamless interactions between Nigeria, analysts and international cooperation advisers of the OTP.
He said Nigeria is working on a Memorandum of Understanding with the Office of the Prosecutor, with a view to addressing grey areas of the alleged egregious crimes committed.
He said: “I wish to also reiterate that Nigeria will continue to demonstrate strong political will to hold perpetrators of terrorism and other heinous crimes accountable, in line with our firm belief that protection of the fundamental rights of victims of crimes against humanity are not negotiable.”
Malami said Nigeria believes in the principle of complementarity and will continue to play a leading role in ensuring that perpetrators of crimes against humanity are prosecuted and victims get deserved justice.
He said the government has put mechanisms in place to ensure that national judiciary is effective and efficient in dispensing justice. Malami reiterated Nigeria’s strong belief in the importance of the rule of law in guiding the actions of nation states, especially holding them accountable for their decisions.
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