UK Offers to Help Nigeria to Investigate Terrorism, Money Laundering Cases

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UK Offers to Help Nigeria to Investigate Terrorism, Money Laundering Cases

This Day, 23 Mar 2016

URL: http://www.thisdaylive.com/index.php/2016/03/23/uk-offers-to-help-nigeria-to-investigate-terrorism-money-laundering-cases/
Tobi Soniyi in Abuja
The federal government’s ongoing fight against corruption has received a boost as the United Kingdom has offered to help Nigeria in tracking terrorism, money laundering and other form of organised crimes.

A statement issued in Abuja on Tuesday by the Special Adviser to the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice on Media and Publicity, Mr. Salihu Othman Isah, said UK also promised to provide technical expertise in complex cases with a view to meeting international best practices.

The statement said Mr. Duncan Moass, Deputy Director, International Development, Crown Prosecution Service, who led a delegation to the minister’s office, made the promise on behalf of the UK government.

Moass said the UK government through the Crown Prosecution Service intended to assist Nigeria in providing technical expertise in complex cases with a view to meeting international best practices.

He said the partnership would assist in tracking terrorism, money laundering and other form of organised crimes, added that institutions like the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and other law enforcement agencies.

According to him, a British-born Nigerian, Mr. Ayo Awoyungbo, who is a leading prosecutor with the Crown Prosecution Service would relocate to Lagos, Nigeria, to spearhead the collaboration.

The UK delegation included Mr. Ayo Awoyungbo and Mrs. Ekanem Bassey, the Governance Adviser of the Department for International Development (DFID).

The delegation was received by the Solicitor General of the Federation and Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Justice, Mr. Taiwo Abidogun,
Responding, Abidogun said Nigeria welcomed the assistance.

He said Nigeria would explore avenues to tap from the expertise of the British government in the prosecution of complex technical cases in the country, especially those bordering on politically exposed people, terrorism, money laundering, human trafficking and other form of organised crimes.

He disclosed that the nation would take advantage of the opportunity offered by the UK government to collaborate on the justice sector, with a view to train Nigerian prosecutors for better service delivery.