PRESIDENT Muhammadu Buhari has signed into law an extradition bill to prevent persons who have submitted to Nigeria in-line with the treaty from facing double jeopardy in judicial trials.
Senior Special Assistant to the President on National Assembly Matters (Senate), Senator Ita Enang, who disclosed this yesterday, said President Buhari also signed into law the 2018 appropriation for the Federal Capital Territory, FCT.
He said the Extradition (Amendment) Act, 2018, vested jurisdiction on extradition proceedings now on the Federal High Court and not Magistrates Court or Magistrates anymore. Enang said: “The amendment further introduces a new section 15(2) preventing double jeopardy as protected by Section 36(9) of the Constitution which prevents a person surrendered to Nigeria in accordance with extraction treaty; obligation from being arrested , detained ,extradited or otherwise dealt with in Nigeria or any other country within the Commonwealth or any other country having same extraditing agreement with Nigeria.
“If the proceedings relates to an offence for which he has been previously convicted or acquitted in the requesting country for which extradition is sought by the Nigerian authorities.”
On the FCT 2018 budget of N371.532 billion, the Presidential aide said: “The Act allows aggregate capital and recurrent expenditure of N371, 532,518,887 up to the financial year ending December 31, 2018,” Other bills signed into law by the President is the National Environmental Standard and Regulations Enforcement Agency (Establishment) (Amendment) Act, 2018.
On the Act, Enang explained: “This Act is an amendment to the 2007 Act and more succinctly defines matters of appointment to the council, empowers the agency or appropriate person to cause immediate abatement of imminent environmental pollution while appropriate warrant or court order is sought to ensure public safety, among others.”
