ABUJA: The Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, has announced that the ministry has made considerable progress in the prosecution of crimes within its jurisdiction. Fagbemi shared this update during the Quarterly Stakeholders Engagement, themed 'Access to Criminal Justice,' in Abuja.
According to News Agency of Nigeria, the engagement aimed to inform citizens about the ministry's measures and achievements in advancing criminal justice administration from October 2024 to the present. Fagbemi emphasized that the progress resulted from policies and actions designed to enhance prosecutors' capabilities, improve collaboration among prosecuting agencies, and develop an appropriate policy framework. This initiative was carried out in cooperation with the National Security Adviser and various law enforcement and security agencies.
The ministry's capacity development efforts focused on crucial areas such as general investigation and prosecution strategy, cyber security, forensic analysis, electronic evidence, financial investigation and prosecution, energy-related offences, piracy, maritime offences, and sexual and gender-based violence. Fagbemi highlighted the establishment of a Joint Case Team on cyber-crime as part of the ministry's response to cyber-crime, in line with the Cyber-crimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc) Act, 2015. The Cyber Crime Legal Framework is currently under review to align with emerging trends and global best practices.
The ministry has also been active in fostering international collaboration and cooperation to ensure no safe haven for criminals. Notably, the ministry successfully extradited two fugitives, Hassan Bun Hussein Abolore Lawal and Okechukwu Josiah Odunna, to the United States in 2025. Additionally, cooperation with Qatari authorities led to the extradition of Benjamin Nnanyereugo, a.k.a Killaboi, from Qatar to Nigeria to face murder charges.
Regarding the extradition of Mr. Simon Ekpa, a self-styled Prime Minister of Biafra detained in Finland, Fagbemi explained that Ekpa's cross-border offences necessitate his trial in Finland first. The Finnish government has initiated legal proceedings against him, and upon conclusion, he will be extradited to Nigeria.
The review period also saw the effective prosecution and conviction of 226 terrorism suspects out of 237 cases conducted from December 9 to December 13, 2024. On the asset recovery front, Nigeria executed an Asset Sharing Agreement with the United States, resulting in the repatriation of over $52 million. A significant portion of the recovered sum will fund the Distributed Access through Renewable Energy Scale-Up (DARES) Project, while the remainder will support counter-terrorism capacity building.
Fagbemi reiterated the administration's commitment to promoting transparency, inclusivity, and accountability in Nigeria's justice system. He invited feedback from stakeholders to help improve service delivery and identify gaps, propose solutions, and prioritize actions for future justice sector reforms.