Burkina Faso has pledged to strengthen judicial cooperation with Nigeria to recover compensation awarded to Nigerian trafficking victims and bring cross-border criminal networks to justice.
The pledge followed a meeting between Burkina Faso’s Minister of Justice, Maître Bayala, and Nigeria’s Ambassador to Burkina Faso, Syndoph Endoni, in Ouagadougou.
According to a statement from Nigeria’s Mission in Ouagadougou on Thursday, the meeting focused on human trafficking, terrorism and other transnational crimes threatening security and justice in both countries.
Bayala assured the Nigerian envoy of his government’s readiness to strengthen cross-border judicial cooperation, especially in investigating offences, enforcing court judgments and protecting trafficking victims.
He identified systematic exchange of judicial information, effective monitoring of appeals and stronger mechanisms for enforcing judicial decisions as priority areas for bilateral collaboration.
The minister also pledged cooperation in tracing and recovering assets belonging to convicted traffickers to facilitate payment of court-ordered compensation to victims.
The commitment is significant for Nigerian trafficking survivors who were repatriated from Burkina Faso without receiving compensation previously awarded to them by Burkinabè courts.
Endoni raised the unresolved cases during the meeting, urging the Burkinabè authorities to review the judgments and ensure that the victims received their lawful entitlements.
The ambassador stressed that the repatriation of trafficking victims should not prevent the prosecution of offenders or enforcement of compensation orders.
He called for stronger judicial arrangements to enable both countries to pursue traffickers across borders and ensure accountability, irrespective of the victims’ locations.
Endoni commended Bayala and the Burkinabè Ministry of Justice for their commitment to delivering justice, including in complex cases involving transnational organised criminal networks.
He reaffirmed Nigeria’s readiness to work closely with Burkina Faso to strengthen judicial coordination, information sharing and enforcement mechanisms.
Bayala said the cooperation would help close enforcement gaps exploited by criminal networks operating across national jurisdictions, especially where offenders conceal assets or evade judicial processes.
He added that it could also help address regional security challenges, including porous borders, illicit movement of persons and goods, and the growing sophistication of transnational criminal activities.
The meeting was part of Nigeria’s efforts to sustain practical security and diplomatic cooperation with Burkina Faso following the country’s withdrawal from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).
Burkina Faso formally exited ECOWAS alongside Mali and Niger in January 2025, with the three countries subsequently pursuing regional cooperation through the Alliance of Sahel States.
