Ola Olukoyede, Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), has alleged that many Nigerian lawyers are complicit in enabling large-scale financial fraud, particularly illicit financial flows.
Speaking at the sixth Annual Criminal Law Review Conference in Abuja,
Olukoyede stated that such crimes are often facilitated by legal professionals who assist in moving substantial funds to offshore accounts, often in tax havens.
He emphasized the need for legal practitioners to uphold ethical standards to curb the rise of financial crimes in the country.
The conference focused on reforming criminal law and addressing challenges in Nigeria's legal and financial systems.
“The most traumatic discovery of the EFCC in recent years was the subjugation of national interest and well-being to personal interest by lawyers who aided briefcase foreign investors to fleece the nation in dubious transactions. “The P&ID scam, the Mambilla Power Project, and Sunrise issues are cases in point.”
The EFCC boss said that while the anti-graft agency had had cause to prosecute judicial officers and senior lawyers, his respect for the bench and senior members of the bar remained undiminished.
“However, based on the unique experiences of the EFCC in the prosecution of corruption cases, I am particularly interested in systemic reforms in our justice delivery system that capture the process for the discipline and regulation of judicial officers, the regulation and discipline of legal practitioners, ethics, values and standards of legal practice.