President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the National Assembly are being pressed to endorse the African Union’s Malabo Protocol, a move that could significantly enhance Nigeria’s capacity to combat terrorism and transnational crime. The call came during a security and governance dialogue held Thursday in Abuja, where participants underscored the urgency of reinforcing legal instruments to address escalating insecurity across Nigeria and the African continent.
Constitutional lawyer Abdul Mahmud, addressing the gathering, emphasized that adopting the protocol would foster regional collaboration, improve intelligence sharing, and streamline the prosecution of terror-related cases. He noted that the Malabo Protocol establishes a robust legal framework enabling African nations to jointly tackle threats such as terrorism, cybercrime, corruption, and other cross-border offenses that undermine peace and stability.
Mahmud urged both President Tinubu and lawmakers to demonstrate political will by accelerating the ratification and implementation process. The protocol, adopted by the African Union in Malabo, Equatorial Guinea, in 2014, seeks to extend the jurisdiction of the African Court of Justice and Human Rights to cover international crimes including terrorism and corruption.
Stakeholders argue that delayed ratification leaves Nigeria vulnerable to sophisticated criminal networks that operate across borders. By joining the protocol, Nigeria would gain access to enhanced legal mechanisms for holding perpetrators accountable and deterring future threats.