TheCable

Abubakar Malami, attorney-general of the federation and minister of justice, says the federal government is determined to end impunity.

The minister said this in a statement Umar Gwandu, his special assistant on media and public relations, issued on his behalf.

The statement is in commemoration of the International Day to End Impunity for Crimes Against Journalists, which is celebrated on November 2 every year.

He said it is gratifying to note that “Nigeria is no longer among the countries with impunity for crimes against journalists”, referring to the 2020 Global Index for Impunity for Crimes Against Journalists released on Wednesday by the Committee to Protect Journalists.

The report indicated that Nigeria is the only country that came off the index from 2019.

Malami said before the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari, Nigeria had ranked 13th across the globe and used to be among top three African countries with impunity for crimes against journalists only after Somalia and South Sudan.

Malami attributed the feat achieved by Nigeria in the new index to the “deliberate and committed efforts of the President Muhammadu Buhari led Federal Government through the implementation of many reforms in the Nigerian justice sector to include increased access to justice, speedy justice dispensation, decongestion of Nigeria’s correctional centers and judicious implementation of the Criminal Justice Act and Justice Sector reforms.

“With the solid foundation of reformed justice sector to be bequeathed by Buhari Administration, never again will Nigeria feature among nations where journalists, citizens and inhabitants of the country will suffer from any form of impunity in the future.”

The minister said the recent developments in Nigeria’s international arbitration against P&ID and some international oil companies are indicators of resolute determination of the federal government to bring to an end the era of impunity and lack of adherence to due diligence and rule of law in governmental operations.

Malami said government is working to ensure safety of journalists against rhetorical aggression, trolling, incursion of privacy, phissing and cyber attcks.

He added that that with the implementation of cybercrime Act 2015, the incidents of cyber-related crimes would be minimised.