FG Restates Commitment to Rome Statue Domestication

The Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami (SAN), has stated that the Federal Government is committed to the domestication of the Rome Statute.

Malami stated this in the Netherlands while delivering Nigeria’s County Statement at the 21st session of the Assembly of States Parties to the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court, The Hague, according to a statement issued on Monday by his Special Assistant (Media and Public Relations), Dr Umar Gwandu.

According to him, the National Assembly has been working tirelessly with the Office of the AGF to complete the Rome Statute domestication effort.

The Minister said Nigeria firmly believes in the rule of law as a panacea for a just and equitable world, noting that the country has continued to uphold its obligations under international law.

Malami pointed out that the FG has not reneged on its pledge to extend maximum cooperation to the Office of the Prosecutor of the Court in addressing the allegation of crimes against humanity committed within its territory.

“There has been an increased exchange of communications between the Federal Government of Nigeria and the OTP, and Nigeria has appointed a Focal Point specifically designated to respond to all requests bothering on criminal law and prosecution issues,” he said.

The minister said the development had aided the seamless interactions between Nigeria, the analysts, and the International Cooperation Advisers of the OTP.

He said Nigeria is working on a Memorandum of Understanding with the Office of the Prosecutor to address the grey areas of the alleged egregious crimes committed.

“I wish to also reiterate that Nigeria will continue to demonstrate a strong political will to hold perpetrators of terrorism and other heinous crimes accountable, in line with our firm belief that protection of the fundamental rights of the victims of crimes against humanity is not negotiable,” Malami said.

The Minister said Nigeria believes in the principle of complementarities and will continue to play a leading role in ensuring that perpetrators of crimes against humanity are prosecuted and victims get deserved justice.

He said the government has put mechanisms in place to ensure that the national judiciary is effective and efficient in dispensing justice.

Malami reiterated Nigeria’s strong belief in the importance of the rule of law in guiding the actions of nation-states, especially in holding them accountable for their decisions.

The minister commended the Assembly for the measures taken to strengthen the court system, especially for assessing the recommendations of the Group of Independent Experts.

“If we are indeed going to rid the world of impunities, a strong and stable International Criminal Court system is not negotiable,” he said.