Matthew Odu Una
Matthew Odu Una joined the IIJ as a Programme Manager in 2025. His current work involves designing and implementing programs for counter-terrorism practitioners and policymakers across Africa, the Middle East, the Asia-Pacific, and beyond. Before joining the IIJ, he worked as a counter-terrorism and atrocity crimes prosecutor at the Complex Casework Group (CCG) of the Department of Public Prosecutions, Federal Ministry of Justice, Nigeria. He also served as a Special Prosecutor to the Federal Government of Nigeria during his first decade as a private legal practitioner. At the international level, he served as an External Legal Expert at the Office of the Legal Advisor (OLA) of the International Atomic Energy Agency. He also held various roles with the International Criminal Court (ICC), United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), the United Nations Team of Experts on the Rule of Law and Sexual Violence in Conflict, the Commonwealth Secretariat, the Wayamo Foundation, and others, serving as a focal person, Expert Working Group Member, and speaker on different subjects of international law.
He is an alumnus of the IIJ and holds a Master of Laws (LL.M.) from Benue State University in Nigeria with a focus on the Law of International Institutions and Treaty Law. He brings over 22 years of professional experience as a Barrister and Solicitor of the Supreme Court of Nigeria. His expertise includes the prosecution of complex criminal cases and the provision of technical support to justice sector institutions.
Mr. Una contributes to regional and international cooperation by supporting cross-border dialogue, knowledge exchange, and the dissemination of good practices among criminal justice stakeholders. He has co-authored an article; The Tide Turns: the Prosecution of SGBV Crimes as a Terrorist Offence in Nigeria, published by the International Centre for Counter-Terrorism (ICCT), The Hague, contributing to evidence-based policy and practitioner-focused research in the field of counter-terrorism.