Tinubu: Corruption Can’t Be Uprooted in Nigeria Without Independent, Reform-minded Bench

• Tasks judiciary to probe prosecution strategies, seal procedural gaps exploited by criminals

Deji Elumoye in Abuja

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has declared that corruption in Nigeria cannot be eradicated without an independent and reform-minded bench.

Speaking on Tuesday in Abuja during the annual EFCC/NJI Capacity Building Workshop for Judges and Justices, Tinubu maintained that there would be no meaningful progress in efforts to tackle graft “without an independent, progressive, and reform-minded Bench”.

While commending the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for convening the 8th edition of the Judges and Justices Workshop, the president, who was represented by Vice President Kashim Shettima,  said the workshop was timely and necessary in “fostering the institutional cohesion required to confront corruption’s ever-changing architecture in Nigeria”.

At the workshop, themed, “Investigation and Prosecution of Economic and Financial Crimes in a Digital Age,” Tinubu stated, “My Lords, we confront a rapidly shifting criminal landscape. Technology has amplified the audacity and reach of illicit actors, ushering in sophisticated crimes driven by destructive ingenuity.

“The rise of blockchain technology and artificial intelligence has introduced unprecedented layers of complexity to traditional illicit activities.

“Because these modern crimes constantly mutate, law enforcement and judicial authorities must continuously build capacity to adapt and respond effectively.”

Tinubu also tasked the judiciary to dismantle the procedural loopholes and flawed prosecution tactics that allowed criminals to escape justice.

He demanded an aggressive overhaul of the justice system to ensure that no well-connected individual could manipulate technicalities to evade the full, crushing weight of the law.

The president urged the judiciary to interrogate existing statutory frameworks against the backdrop of emerging financial crimes.

“Probe prosecution strategies, dismantle outdated precedents, and seal procedural gaps that politically exposed persons and organised crime actors exploit to delay or frustrate trial,” he stated.

Tinubu warned that while financial and economic crimes posed an existential threat to Nigeria, corruption had no respect for status and spared no arm of government.

According to him, framing the anti-corruption campaign as purely an executive agenda is a fundamental error because compromised public services equally affect the executive, legislature, judiciary, and ordinary citizens.

Stating that corruption was a battle against the nation’s collective survival, the president said, “We must no longer permit legal pyrotechnics and procedural pedantry to shelter criminality. The Bench is not merely a mechanical arbiter of rules, but an active guardian of moral order and social equity.

“Law is, by design, an instrument of social engineering; it must invariably prioritise the public good over narrow, selfish interests shielded by technical manoeuvres. Our courts must embody the spirit, and not just the arid letter, of the law.”

Tinubu urged the judiciary to adapt to the shifting dynamics of financial crime, stressing that realigning the country’s investigative and prosecutorial strategies is critical to preventing institutional obsolescence.

He explained, “We are already on the right trajectory. The EFCC’s recent momentum in tackling cryptocurrency fraud and its commendable strides in recovering virtual assets are highly reassuring. The agency has recovered billions of naira in cryptocurrency investment-related fraud cases.

“In 2025, the agency secured the forfeiture of $22,417.91 (Twenty-Two Thousand, Four Hundred and Seventeen Dollars, Ninety-One Cents) worth of Bitcoin; 1,001,301.87 USDT (One Million, One Thousand, Three Hundred and One USDT and Eighty-Seven Cents) in digital assets; and US$5.6 million linked to the CBEX scheme, while 192 foreigners arrested for cyber-terrorism and cryptocurrency fraud were successfully prosecuted and deported afterwards.”

Tinubu said while EFCC’s actions showed an agency that was proactive, forward-looking and resolved not to be outpaced by technological innovation, the judiciary “must complement law enforcement by rapidly upscaling its capacity.”

He acknowledged efforts by Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN) to reform the judiciary.

The president pledged the full support of the executive arm of government to ensure that the Nigerian judiciary was adequately equipped to meet the demands of justice delivery in the digital age.

Earlier, Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Hon. Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, said the 8th edition of the event reflected the commitment of NJI and EFCC to sustain efforts to address challenges confronting stakeholders in Nigeria’s justice system.

Kekere-Ekun said the trend in technology had impacted how digital evidence was obtained and recorded. She stated that the effective administration of criminal justice in the digital era required firm and disciplined case management, which capacity building programmes, such as the EFCC and NJI collaboration, aimed to strengthen.

The CJN stated that sustained judicial education and capacity development in the justice sector was yielding positive results with the improved conduct of judicial officers especially judges in case management and the dispensation of justice in recent years.

Chairman of Senate Committee on Anti-corruption and Financial Crimes, Senator Emmanuel Udende, said the timing of the workshop was apt given the increasing sophistication of financial crimes and corruption, particularly, cases involving politically exposed persons. Udende said such cases directly impacted timely case management and the dispensation of justice.

He assured the stakeholders that the National Assembly remained committed to supporting the enhancement of the war against corruption and financial crimes in Nigeria through proactive legislation.

Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Prince Lateef Fagbemi, who was represented by Director of Public Prosecution, Mr Rotimi Oyedepo, urged synergy among stakeholders in addressing emerging challenges in Nigeria’s fight against corruption. Fagbemi stated that one arm of government alone could not effectively address the problem.

He urged judicial officers, especially judges and lawyers, to leverage opportunities provided during the workshop to enhance their capacities to make investigation more thorough and prosecution more diligent.

In his welcome address, Administrator of the National Judicial Institute, Justice Babatunde Adejumo, said the collaboration between EFCC and NJI in enhancing the capacity of judicial officers had become an integral part of government’s efforts to frontally tackle the dynamics and scale of financial crimes in the digital age.

He said the presence of the vice president at the event was a practical demonstration of the commitment of the Tinubu administration to boost Nigeria’s war against corruption.

Executive Chairman of EFCC, Mr. Ola Olukoyede, said the event was a national imperative that had become an important component of the annual programme of both EFCC and NJI.

Olukoyede said the commission under his leadership was reform-minded and had recorded unprecedented convictions as well as financial recoveries over the past three years. He assured that transparent and judicious handling of recovered money and property.

The EFCC chairman also regretted the effect of advanced technology on financial crimes as well as other forms of corruption, stating that digital innovation is fast outpacing legal instruments and provisions for prosecution.