Judiciary-Poetry-Logo
JPoetry

TREATY SHOULD BE PROCLAIMED BY AN ORDER IN THE GAZETTE BEFORE NIGERIAN COURTS WILL IMPLEMENT THEM

Dictum

Where a treaty or other agreement (in this Act referred to as an extradition agreement) has been made by Nigeria with any other country for the surrender, by each country to the other, of persons wanted for prosecution or punishment, the President may by order published in the Federal Gazette apply this Act to that country. Therefore, whether a particular pre-1960 treaty is in force or not, the Extradition Act requires an order to be made regarding the treaty in the Federal Gazette before the treaty can be implemented. In the event that an extradition treaty has not been proclaimed by way of an order published in the Federal Gazette, the treaty will not be justiciable in Nigerian Courts. This does not mean that the treaty is no longer in force, nor does it mean that Nigeria’s obligations under the treaty have been vacated. It only means that Nigeria has not taken the municipal steps for implementing the treaty.

— H.M. Ogunwumiju JSC. A.G of The Federation v. Anuebunwa (SC.CV/118/2021)

Was this dictum helpful?

SHARE ON