By Christel Odili
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has said that Nigeria and Russia has signed a treaty on Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters.
The Treaty was negotiated in 2009 to enhance collaboration and cooperation between the two countries in the administration of criminal justice and signed in Moscow, Russia on the 27th of November, 2018.
According to a statement by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs,George Ehidiamen Edokpa, today in Abuja, the Treaty was signed on behalf of Nigeria the by the Honourable Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami (SAN), accompanied by the Ambassador of Nigeria to the Russian Federation, Prof. Steve Davies Ugbah, while the Acting Minister of Justice of the Russian Federation, Mr. Oleg Anatoyevich Plokhoy signed on behalf of the Russian Federation.
He disclosed that the Treaty on Legal Assistance in Criminal Matter is aimed at providing the necessary mechanism for cooperation in the fight against crime and criminal related matters, including terrorism, as well as to counter every form of support to terrorism.
According, to him, “this agreement, as it stands would assist in the fight against corruption as it makes provision for the tracing, recovery, forfeiture or confiscation of stolen assets, as well as the proceeds and instruments of crime”.
“The signing of the Treaty is a major breakthrough in the Bilateral Relations between Nigeria and Russia and the beginning of greater cooperation and partnership in other sectors”.
According to the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Nigeria would benefit from this agreement as it would not only afford the country the opportunity to request for the arrest, surrender, investigation and prosecution of all persons who may have committed crimes and escape to The Russian Federation, but will be assured of the Russian cooperation in the tracing, recovery and repatriation of the stolen assets.