In the effort to combat crime and corruption in Nigeria, the Federal Government has officially ratified an existing agreement with the Kingdom of Spain. This development was announced by the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr. Lateef Fagbemi, after the Federal Executive Council meeting at the State House, Abuja.
Former President Muhammadu Buhari signed a total of nine agreements and Memoranda of Understanding with the Spanish Government during his visit to Madrid in early June 2022. These agreements covered areas such as Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters, Transfer of Sentenced Persons, Extradition, Economic and Commercial Cooperation, Tourism, sports, health, the fight against COVID-19, and science and innovation.
Despite the previous agreements, the treaty on Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters, Transfer of Sentenced Persons, and Extradition had not been ratified until now. The Justice Minister highlighted the importance of these agreements in addressing cross-border criminal activities.
Mr. Fagbemi explained, “Today, we focused on the agreement between Nigeria and the Kingdom of Spain, including the exchange of information and assistance in investigation. These agreements were signed in June 2022 and required ratification by the Council.”
One of the memoranda addressed the exchange of assistance to apprehend fugitives attempting to evade justice. The Minister emphasized the significance of mutual legal assistance in ensuring that individuals face justice for their actions.
The third memo dealt with convictions, where the Minister elaborated, “We have a mutual agreement with Spain to exchange persons sentenced to serve their terms in either country based on requests submitted.”