The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crimes (UNODC) on 15th June, 2022, launched a project titled ‘Strengthening the capacity of Nigeria to collect evidence and more effectively prosecute terrorism and other serious crimes with respect to the rule of law,’ funded by the Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs of the United States of America.
At the event, the Coordinator, Counter Terrorism Centre, Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA), Rear Admiral YEM Musa (rtd) thanked the UNODC for coming up with such a laudable project.
The Coordinator who was represented by a Staff Officer in ONSA, Mr. Dennis Ozioko noted that the project which aimed to support the efforts of the federal and state authorities to hold culprits of violence and other forms of criminal activity to account, would further support Nigeria to successfully prosecute serious criminal offences, including terrorism, committed in North East Nigeria, through improved collection and utilisation of potential evidential material, inclusive of serious criminal cases brought before State and Federal Courts.
“As Nigeria continues to take important steps towards countering violent extremism particularly in the North East, the unwavering support, partnership and the collaborative efforts of UNODC over the years underscore our unique drive to combat the global menace bedeviling our global space,” he said.
He assured the UNODC, European Union (EU) and United Nations Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate (CTED) and all the nation’s strategic partners that Nigeria would always be committed to this partnership which was geared towards strengthening Nigeria’s criminal justice measures against terrorist threat of various armed groups in compliance with the rule of law and fully respecting human rights.