Capacity building of civil and military investigators and prosecutors in Nigeria

Following on from six previous workshops on “Strengthening Justice and Accountability in Nigeria” held over the course of 2017 and 2018, the Wayamo Foundation and the International Nuremberg Principles Academy organised a training workshop for civil and military investigators, prosecutors and legal practitioners in Abuja from 24-26 June 2019.

The overall objective of the workshops was to equip Nigerian prosecutors and investigators with the necessary expertise and skill set to address the most serious and complex crimes -international, transnational and terrorism-related- under Nigerian criminal law, including crimes that may potentially fall under the jurisdiction of the International Criminal Court. The workshop addressed the key challenges faced by prosecutors and investigators. Specifically, prosecutors have, through numerous practical exercises and case scenarios, been guided on how to ensure that grave crimes are contained within the charge sheets. Investigators benefited from a list of recommendations and advice provided from experts as to how diversify types of evidence collected.

The training workshop was conducted for a combined group made up of key investigators and prosecutors, since one of the goals is to continue to encourage prosecution-guided investigations through joint investigation teams. The enhanced relationship of trust, facilitated through the workshop, with the Office of the Directorate of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) and the Chief of Army Staff will continue to allow the identification of pending impunity gaps vis-à-vis these alleged crimes and help us propose remedial measures as regards their investigation and prosecution.