President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the National Assembly have been called upon to ratify the African Union’s Malabo Protocol to strengthen Nigeria’s fight against terrorism and other transnational crimes.
The appeal was made during a security and governance dialogue held on Thursday in Abuja, where stakeholders stressed the need for stronger legal frameworks to combat rising insecurity across the country and the African continent.
Speaking at the event, constitutional lawyer, Abdul Mahmud said the ratification of the protocol would enhance regional cooperation, improve intelligence sharing and strengthen the prosecution of terrorism-related offences.
According to him, “The Malabo Protocol provides a solid legal framework for African countries to jointly address terrorism, cybercrime, corruption and other cross border crimes threatening peace and stability on the continent”.
Mr Mahmud urged President Tinubu and members of the National Assembly to demonstrate commitment by fast tracking the ratification and implementation process.
The Malabo Protocol was adopted by the African Union in 2014 in Malabo, Equatorial Guinea, to expand the jurisdiction of the African Court of Justice and Human Rights to cover international crimes, including terrorism and corruption.