The Executive Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ola Olukoyede, has urged judges to conclude corruption proceedings more quickly, warning that prolonged trials weaken evidence and undermine public trust in the courts.
His appeal accompanied calls from Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, and Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, for institutions to improve investigations and case management while protecting fair hearing and judicial independence.
The officials spoke at the opening of the eighth workshop for judges and justices organised by the EFCC and the National Judicial Institute (NJI) in Abuja on Tuesday, 13 October. The three-day programme, which concludes on Thursday, 15 October, has the theme, “Investigation and Prosecution of Economic and Financial Crimes in a Digital Age.”
Lawyers, judicial officers, anti-corruption specialists and other stakeholders attended the opening ceremony.
Olukoyede identified problems within institutions and delays arising from court procedures as obstacles to prosecuting complex financial crimes. He said unnecessary adjournments and repeated changes of counsel prevented cases from progressing.
“When financial crime cases are allowed to drift indefinitely, the integrity of the process erodes. Evidence deteriorates and loses its cogency. Witnesses disappear, relocate, or suffer memory lapses. Public confidence in the judicial system completely evaporates. Justice delayed indefinitely defeats accountability.
“Adjudicating corruption cases requires an elevated standard of integrity, judicial courage, and an unswerving commitment to the rule of law.
“We continue to hold in the highest esteem those jurists who have consistently held the candle of justice aloft in these challenging times.”
Fagbemi addressed the work that precedes a trial, saying investigators must conduct thorough enquiries and handle digital evidence properly if prosecutors are to present sustainable cases.
He said authorities must obtain such material through lawful means, preserve it carefully, establish its authenticity and demonstrate its connection to the elements of the alleged offence.
The Attorney-General cautioned against using arrest figures or the number of charges filed as the principal measures of prosecutorial performance. He said the quality of investigations, fairness of proceedings and ability of judicial outcomes to withstand scrutiny mattered more.
He described prosecutors as ministers of justice whose responsibility required them to pursue lawful outcomes rather than convictions at any cost. Investigators, prosecutors, defence lawyers and judges, he added, must carry out their respective duties professionally and preserve fair hearing as they work to reduce delays.
Fagbemi also drew attention to the recovery and management of criminal proceeds. He said the Proceeds of Crime (Recovery and Management) Act, 2022, established mechanisms for locating illicit assets, preserving them, securing their recovery and managing them.
He stressed that those processes required credible evidence and appropriate judicial procedures, alongside respect for the rights of people affected by recovery actions.
According to him, stronger forensic capabilities, better exchanges of information and assistance across national borders would support more durable results against financial crime.
He urged institutions to replace competition with cooperation, calling for closer working relationships among the Ministry of Justice, EFCC, judiciary, financial intelligence bodies and other relevant agencies as financial offences increasingly crossed jurisdictions.
Fagbemi said the authorities must confront financial crime firmly while protecting innocent people and observing the rule of law.
Kekere-Ekun focused on the courts’ responsibility to assess the cases brought before them. She said the seriousness of an accusation could not determine a verdict: prosecutors still had to prove their allegations with credible evidence that the law permitted courts to admit.
She urged judges to maintain fair hearing, due process and independence while developing the knowledge needed to adjudicate newer forms of financial crime.
Cryptocurrency dealings, encrypted messages, electronic records and transactions spanning several countries, she said, had made criminal proceedings more complex. Judges therefore needed to understand the methods used to collect and preserve digital evidence, establish its authenticity and assess its significance.
The Chief Justice called for effective management of proceedings under the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, 2015. She said judges should prevent avoidable delays while safeguarding the rights of the parties appearing before them.
She also said continuing judicial education had strengthened judges’ ability to handle financial crime cases. Further development of professional standards and expertise remained necessary for proceedings involving corruption, money laundering and related offences.
Kekere-Ekun cited Nigeria’s removal from the Financial Action Task Force’s grey list on 24 October 2025, saying the milestone required institutions to sustain their efforts. The FATF announced Nigeria’s exit from increased monitoring after the country completed its agreed action plan.
She cautioned, however, that cooperation among institutions must preserve the courts’ constitutional independence. Monitoring arrangements and coordination, she said, must never become channels for influencing judicial decisions.
Olukoyede outlined a more coordinated approach to preparing and deciding financial crime cases. He said investigators should understand the evidence courts required, while prosecutors should identify potential evidentiary difficulties before proceedings began.
Forensic specialists, he added, needed to explain complex digital information through clear testimony. Judicial officers also required an understanding of the techniques offenders used to commit and conceal financial crimes.
The EFCC chairman said his request for faster trials did not ask judges to depart from legal requirements. He linked the commission’s objectives to the quality of its investigations, the strength of cases presented in court and the legality of asset recovery.
“We do not seek simply to investigate more people; we seek to investigate more intelligently. We do not seek merely to prosecute more cases; we seek to prosecute cases that are properly investigated and capable of meeting the required standard of proof. Where assets are recovered, we seek to ensure that the recovery is lawful, transparent and sustainable.
“We do not urge your lordships to reinvent the wheel, nor do we suggest the manufacturing of evidence to secure convictions. We ask only for rigorous, expeditious adjudication.
“Before delivering judgment in any corruption matter, I urge you to resolve a few fundamental questions within your own conscience: Will this verdict encourage or deter financial crimes? How will judicial history judge this decision decades from now? What colour will this judgment add to the enduring tapestry of your legacy?”