The European Union (EU) and the Nigerian government, through the Federal Ministry of Justice, yesterday deepened collaborative efforts against transnational crimes by streamlining legal processes for the investigation, arrest, and prosecution of international criminals.
Speaking at a one-day high-level meeting in Abuja, the Vice President of the European Union Agency for Criminal Justice Cooperation (EUROJUST), José de la Mata Amaya, noted that crime is borderless and, as such, requires effective collaboration among states and agencies to bring criminals to justice.
The meeting, which was hosted by the Federal Ministry of Justice, had in attendance the EU Ambassador to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Ambassador Gautier Mignot, representatives of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), other agencies for the prosecution of crime, and representatives of the EU Delegation to Nigeria.
The Guardian reports that EUROJUST is an agency of the European Union for international legal cooperation in criminal matters and is comprised of judges and prosecutors. Its task is to provide assistance, support, and facilitate criminal cases and investigations handled by judges and prosecutors in the European Union.
Commenting, the EUROJUST Vice President expressed strong belief that nations can achieve more and move faster when they work together to eradicate trans-border crimes.
“Nigeria needs support and assistance in cases involving member states of the European Union, and indeed the member states of the European Union also need to strengthen and enhance their cooperation with the authorities of Nigeria,” he said.
The VP disclosed that, as part of efforts to realise the goals of such cooperation, the EU and Nigeria signed a working arrangement—a strategic document that will pave the way toward reinforced cooperation.
“Maybe in the future, it will allow us to sign an international agreement with the European Union and the authorities of the government of Nigeria. For the time being, we aim to understand each other better, define best practices to enhance cooperation, and identify challenges or problems that may exist in the member states where we are assisting the Nigerian authorities, as well as in Nigeria where they assist the member states.
“The main aim of this endeavour will be to improve the number of cases we handle together, because that will mean we are providing more assistance to the judges and prosecutors in the member states, as well as in Nigeria, for their trans-border investigations.
“We have reached the conclusion—and we know for sure—that if you want to go fast, you can go alone, but if you want to go far, you must go as a team.
“That’s what we want to achieve with this working arrangement—to work as a team, respecting, of course, all international conventions, multilateral and bilateral agreements in place concerning international legal cooperation, and respecting the rights of the person under investigation. Together, as colleagues, we will achieve the goal of criminal justice, which is ultimately our shared goal,” he added.
Meanwhile, EU Ambassador to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Gautier Mignot, described the meeting as a strong expression of joint willingness—on the part of Nigeria and UN agencies—to fight crime, particularly transnational organized crime, in a more coordinated and efficient way.
He thanked the UNODC, which he noted has been instrumental in initiating and facilitating this cooperation.
Earlier, the Solicitor-General of the Federation and Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Justice, Mrs. Beatrice Jeddy-Agba, observed that the meeting was a follow-up on the working agreements signed between the EU and Nigeria in 2023.
“This arrangement is primarily aimed at strengthening our joint efforts against transnational organized crimes, with a particular focus on enhancing seamless judicial cooperation across international borders in the interest of international criminal justice,” she said.
She added that judicial cooperation is invaluable in helping countries resolve cases that might otherwise fail due to jurisdictional issues or insufficient grounds for advancing requests.
The SGF further disclosed that, in the coming days, the EU and Nigeria will open dialogue toward a better understanding of each other’s systems, identifying challenges and areas where collaboration can deepen and become more effective.
“We hope this will broaden our collective vision and illuminate pathways for reinforced cooperation in international criminal justice matters between Nigeria and the European Union.
“We also hope to achieve our goal of practically implementing the working arrangement, ensuring that it operates smoothly and efficiently in tackling criminal activities between Nigeria and Europe, among others,” she added.
