30

October 2017

PRESS RELEASE
Abuja hosts capacity-building for military and civil prosecutors and
investigators to address the most serious crimes under Nigerian criminal law
This is to inform, and invite you to attend the opening ceremony of a capacity-building workshop for
military and civil investigators and prosecutors entitled, STRENGTHENING JUSTICE AND
ACCOUNTABILITY IN NIGERIA which will be held at the Nordic Hotel in Abuja on

Thursday, 2 November 2017 at 9am.

The three-day workshop is organised by the Wayamo Foundation, the International Nuremberg
Principles Academy and the Africa Group for Justice and Accountability (AGJA) and will be opened by
General Yusuf Shalangwa, the Director of Legal Services of the Nigerian Army and Mr Muhammed
Umar, Director of Public Prosecutions for the Federation, Federal Ministry of Justice, Abuja.

This November workshop is the fourth training session for Nigerian military and civil investigators
and prosecutors and will build on the previous workshops held by the above-mentioned organisers.
The objective of the ongoing training programme is to build capacity to address the most serious and
complex crimes under Nigerian criminal law (international, transnational and terrorism-related
crimes), including those crimes that potentially fall under the jurisdiction of the International
Criminal Court (ICC).

The trainers are national and international experts in international criminal justice and military law,
including: Charles Garraway, Fellow Human Rights Centre, University of Essex, Retired Colonel,
United Kingdom Army Legal Services; Olawale Fapohunda, former Attorney General of Ekiti State,
and member of the Presidential Investigation Panel to Review Compliance of the Armed Forces with
Human Rights Obligations and Rules of Engagement; Sofia Candeias, UN Team of Experts on the Rule
of Law and Sexual Violence in Conflict; and Akingbolahan Adeniran, Rule of Law Advisor, Office of
the Vice-President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

The training will include the following topics: international criminal investigations; military justice
systems; understanding the rights of the accused before civil and military courts; and investigating
and prosecuting sexual and gender based violence.

After three highly successful events for civil prosecutors and military prosecutors held in Abuja and in
Lagos in December 2016, March 2017 and June 2017, this event continues to enhance the progress
made in strengthening justice and accountability in Nigeria. The training aims to set the standard for
the prosecution of serious international crimes in the future. This event is organised with funding
from the Ford Foundation and in collaboration with the Director of Public Prosecutions and the Chief
of Army Staff.

Background Information:

The Wayamo Foundation is an independent, non-profit organisation established to strengthen the

rule of law and promote international criminal justice. The Wayamo Foundation works to build the
capacity of national judicial systems that address crimes of concern to the international community
and provides education for legal practitioners, journalists and the public on issues of justice and
accountability. The Wayamo Foundation acts as co-ordinator and secretariat for the Africa Group for
Justice and Accountability (AGJA), an independent group of senior African experts on international
criminal law and human rights.

The International Nuremberg Principles Academy is located in Nuremberg, Germany, the birthplace
of modern international criminal law. It is devoted to the promotion of international criminal justice
and human rights, and supports world-wide enforcement of international criminal law. The Academy
aims to further knowledge, and build capacity at the national level for the investigation and
prosecution of international core crimes, i.e., genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes and the
crime of aggression.

For all media enquiries or further information please contact:

Bettina Ambach, Director, Wayamo Foundation, Bettina.ambach@wayamo.com,
Angela Mudukuti, International Criminal Justice Lawyer, Wayamo Foundation,
angela.mudukuti@wayamo.com
Adefemi Adesola, Media Liaison adesola.adefemi@yahoo.com