The President of the Court of Appeal, Justice Monica Dongban-Mensem, has warned that economic crimes, including the looting of public resources, do more than cause financial losses, as they deprive citizens of opportunities, weaken institutions and erode public confidence.

Justice Dongban-Mensem gave the warning at the just concluded 43rd Cambridge International Symposium on Economic Crime held at the University of Cambridge, United Kingdom, where Nigeria’s judiciary, law enforcement agencies and financial regulators featured prominently in discussions on combating illicit financial activities.

Delivering the vote of thanks at the event, the Court of Appeal President said illicit wealth must not be allowed to finance further criminal activity, political influence or impunity.

According to a statement issued by the Assistant Chief Information Officer of the Court of Appeal, Bukola Garr, Dongban-Mensem said the participation of the Nigerian delegation reflected the country’s commitment to confronting economic crime through stronger institutional collaboration and international cooperation.

She thanked the founder of the symposium, Professor Barry Rider, OBE, as well as the University of Cambridge and Jesus College for hosting the event, which ran from August 24 to 31.

Dongban-Mensem stressed that economic crime should not be viewed merely as a financial or accounting problem, but as an issue with direct consequences for social justice and national development.

She observed that resources stolen from the public deny citizens access to opportunities and essential services while also weakening confidence in public institutions.

“Economic crime is not merely a financial problem but a question of social justice, as stolen resources deprive societies of opportunities and weaken public confidence,” the statement quoted her as saying.

According to her, one of the major lessons from the symposium was the need for persistence, courage and sustained collaboration among institutions and countries in order to make the financial foundations of criminal enterprises increasingly difficult to maintain.

“The symposium’s key takeaway,” she said, “was the need for persistence, courage and collaboration to make the financial foundations of criminal enterprises increasingly difficult to sustain.”

The Court of Appeal President also placed particular emphasis on asset recovery and repatriation, calling for recovered proceeds of crime to be returned promptly to the countries and communities from which they were stolen.

She warned that asset recovery without actual repatriation would leave the justice process incomplete.

“Without repatriation, the promise of justice remains unfulfilled,” Dongban-Mensem stated.

______________________________________________________________________ “Enhance Legal Practice With Authoritative Reports” — Alexander Payne Offers Comprehensive Law Reports, Spanning Over A Century Of Nigerian Jurisprudence

Interested buyers are encouraged to place their orders and enquiries via: 0704 444 4777, 0704 444 4999, 0818 199 9888 Website: www.alexandernigeria.com

_______________________________________________________________________ [A MUST HAVE] Evidence Act Demystified With Recent And Contemporary Cases And Materials
“Evidence Act: Complete Annotation” by renowned legal experts Sanni & Etti.
Available now for NGN 40,000 at ASC Publications, 10, Boyle Street, Onikan, Lagos. Beside High Court, TBS. Email publications@ayindesanni.com or WhatsApp +2347056667384. Purchase Link: https://paystack.com/buy/evidence-act-complete-annotation _______________________________________________________________________

“Order Justice Omolaye-Ajileye’s Electronic Evidence Books Now” — Essential Guides On Evidence Act, Case Law And Digital Proof

Two leading books on electronic evidence by Hon. Justice Professor Alaba Omolaye-Ajileye, Rtd., PhD, FICMC, are now available for purchase. The publications, Electronic Evidence (Second Edition), With The Evidence Act, 2011 and Compendium Of Cases On Electronic Evidence, Volume II, 2020–2025, provide practical guidance, legal analysis and recent judicial authorities on electronic evidence in Nigeria.Order directly from the author here: https://velvety-cendol-7387ed.netlify.app/ _______________________________________________________________________ Groundbreaking Guide For Lawyers: Adigwe Publishes ‘Artificial Intelligence For Lawyers’ With Free Research eBook The book also examines Nigeria's legal ecosystem, focusing on the LPELR and NBA AI Guidelines. As a bonus, every purchase comes with a FREE eBook titled: How to Use the AI Features in LegalPedia and LawPavilion. Ohio Books Ltd praises the publication, stating: "....this is the only Nigerian book I know of on the topic." How to Order: 📞 Call, Text, or WhatsApp: 08034917063 | 07055285878 📧 Email: benadigwe1@gmail.com 🌎 Website: www.benadigwe.com Ebook Version: Access it directly online at https://selar.com/prv626 Authored by Ben Ijeoma Adigwe Esq., ACIarb (UK), LL.M, Dip. in Artificial Intelligence, Director at the Delta State Ministry of Justice, Asaba, Nigeria. _______________________________________________________________________