BY TAIBAT UMMI YAKUBU
Burkina Faso has agreed to work with Nigeria to ensure that human trafficking convicts do not escape their financial obligations to victims, including Nigerians who returned home without receiving compensation ordered by courts in the West African country.
The issue took centre stage when Nigeria’s Ambassador to Burkina Faso, Syndoph Endoni, met the country’s Justice Minister, Maître Bayala, in Ouagadougou, where both officials discussed ways to tackle crimes that extend beyond national borders.
At the heart of the discussions were unresolved compensation cases involving Nigerian trafficking survivors. Although Burkinabè courts had awarded them compensation, some victims were repatriated to Nigeria before receiving the money.
Endoni urged the Burkinabè government to revisit the cases and ensure that the affected Nigerians were not denied the benefits of judgments already delivered in their favour. He argued that sending victims back to their country should not allow convicted traffickers to escape prosecution or avoid paying what the courts had ordered.
Responding, Bayala gave assurances that Burkina Faso was prepared to work more closely with Nigeria to address the outstanding cases. He said his government would support efforts to locate and recover assets belonging to convicted traffickers, creating a possible route for victims to receive their compensation.
The minister also identified weaknesses in cross-border legal cooperation that could allow criminals to exploit differences between national judicial systems. He proposed improved exchange of court-related information, closer monitoring of appeals and more effective procedures for enforcing judgments.
Beyond the compensation dispute, the two officials examined cooperation against human trafficking, terrorism and other organised crimes affecting both countries.
Bayala said stronger coordination would make it harder for criminal networks to escape justice by moving between countries, hiding their assets or avoiding court processes. He also linked the proposed partnership to wider regional security concerns, including uncontrolled border movements and the illegal transportation of people and goods.
Endoni welcomed the minister’s position, commending the Burkinabè authorities for their willingness to address complex cases involving criminal organisations operating across national boundaries.
He said Nigeria remained ready to deepen cooperation with Burkina Faso through better judicial coordination, information sharing and mechanisms that would ensure court decisions were enforced.
The engagement also reflects Nigeria’s attempt to sustain bilateral relations with Burkina Faso despite the country's departure from ECOWAS.
Burkina Faso formally withdrew from the regional bloc in January 2025 alongside Mali and Niger. The three countries have since strengthened their regional partnership under the Alliance of Sahel States.
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