Over 100 senior lawyers under prosecution for corruption, EFCC chair reveals

The Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ola Olukoyede, has disclosed that more than 100 senior lawyers in Nigeria are currently facing trial for various corruption-related offenses.

Olukoyede made this revelation on Friday while delivering the keynote address at the second annual lecture organized by the Body of Benchers in Abuja.

He emphasized that the anti-graft agency has received a high volume of petitions accusing members of the legal profession of engaging in complex financial crimes.

According to the EFCC boss, ongoing investigations have uncovered a disturbing pattern of professional misconduct, including the diversion of clients’ funds, the facilitation of large-scale money laundering, and other unethical financial activities.

Olukoyede warned that the involvement of legal practitioners in economic and financial crimes poses a severe threat to the nation. “Corruption within the legal profession does not just undermine the economy; it strikes at the very heart of the integrity of Nigeria’s justice system,” he stated.

He further noted that the agency remains committed to sanitizing the sector and ensuring that those entrusted with the administration of justice are held to the highest ethical standards.

The disclosure has sparked significant conversation among legal practitioners and civil society groups regarding the necessity for stricter oversight and internal reform within the Nigerian Bar.