Precious Nwonu, Enugu

President Bola Tinubu has called on Nigerian judges to address legal and procedural loopholes exploited by politically exposed persons and organised crime groups to delay or frustrate criminal trials.

Tinubu made the call on Tuesday in Abuja at the eighth annual capacity-building workshop for judges and justices, organised by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission and the National Judicial Institute. He was represented by Vice President Kashim Shettima.

The President urged the judiciary to review prosecution strategies, reconsider outdated legal precedents and assess existing laws against emerging forms of financial crime.

He said the fight against corruption should not be treated as the responsibility of the executive alone, noting that its effects cut across the judiciary, legislature, public institutions and the wider society.

“We must no longer permit legal pyrotechnics and procedural pedantry to shelter criminality,” Tinubu said, describing the fight against corruption as essential to the country’s survival.

He maintained that courts must uphold the spirit of the law and prioritise public interest over attempts by individuals to exploit technicalities to escape justice.

Tinubu added that meaningful progress against corruption required an independent and reform-minded judiciary, pledging the executive’s support for efforts to strengthen justice delivery.

The workshop, themed “Investigation and Prosecution of Economic and Financial Crimes in a Digital Age,” focused on the growing challenges posed by technology-driven criminal activities.

Tinubu said the emergence of blockchain technology and artificial intelligence had made financial crimes more sophisticated, requiring law enforcement agencies and judicial officers to continually improve their skills.

He commended the EFCC for its efforts against cryptocurrency-related fraud, citing recoveries and forfeitures linked to digital asset investigations.

According to the President, the commission secured the forfeiture in 2025 of $22,417.91 in Bitcoin, 1,001,301.87 USDT in digital assets and $5.6m connected to the CBEX scheme.

He also disclosed that 192 foreign nationals arrested over alleged cyber-terrorism and cryptocurrency fraud were prosecuted and deported.

Tinubu further said the EFCC filed 14,476 cases and secured 10,872 convictions within the first 34 months of his administration, representing a conviction-to-filing ratio of 75.1 per cent.

He added that the commission recorded 1,370 convictions from 1,889 cases filed in the first half of 2026.

The President said the EFCC also recovered ₦1.233tn, $684.48m, £373,905.78 and €9.34m in monetary assets during the period under review.

He urged the judiciary to strengthen its capacity to handle digital evidence and complex financial crime cases, while commending Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, for her judicial reform efforts.

In her remarks, Kekere-Ekun said technological advances had transformed how digital evidence was obtained and documented, making effective case management increasingly important.

She added that continuous judicial training had contributed to improvements in the conduct of judicial officers, particularly in managing cases.

The Chairman of the Senate Committee on Anti-Corruption and Financial Crimes, Emmanuel Udende, described the workshop as timely, citing the increasing sophistication of financial crimes and the delays associated with cases involving politically exposed persons.

Udende pledged the National Assembly’s support through legislation aimed at strengthening the fight against corruption.

The Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, represented by the Director of Public Prosecutions, Rotimi Oyedepo, said tackling corruption required cooperation among all arms of government.

He urged judges and lawyers to use the workshop to improve investigations and ensure more diligent prosecutions.

The Administrator of the NJI, Justice Babatunde Adejumo, described the EFCC-NJI partnership as an important part of efforts to combat financial crimes.

EFCC Chairman Ola Olukoyede also described the workshop as a national necessity, saying the commission had recorded significant convictions and recoveries under his leadership.

Olukoyede assured participants that recovered funds and property would be managed transparently and responsibly.