To enlist international assistance in the fight against corruption, the Nigerian Senate has passed an executive bill on anti-corruption.
The criminal matters enlisted in the bill include money laundering, asset acquisition from proceeds of corruption and other forms of illicit financial flows.
The proposed law, Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters Between Nigeria and Other Foreign Countries, SB 224, 2017, was read for the third time and subsequently passed by the Senate on Tuesday, Premium Times reports.
The bill – and another one on Money Laundering Prevention and Prohibition, was sent to the Senate by President Muhammadu Buhari on January 27, 2016, before it was finally passed by the lawmakers on Tuesday.
“The bill also hopes to elicit international assistance in criminal investigations, recovery, forfeiture or confiscation of property in respect of offences.
“The restraining of dealings in property or the freezing of asset that may be recovered, forfeited or confiscated in respect of offences.
“The execution of request for search and seizure, the location and identification of witnesses and suspects,” Buhari wrote to the Senate in January 2016.
There is no report yet on the second one, Money Laundering Prevention and Prohibition Bill, sent same day as the one on mutual legal assistance.
Although the bill has yet been approved by the House of Representatives.
