President Bola Tinubu on Tuesday called on the judiciary to dismantle procedural loopholes and outdated practices that enable offenders, including politically exposed persons and organised crime networks, to evade justice through technicalities.
Speaking at the eighth EFCC/NJI Capacity Building Workshop for Judges and Justices in Abuja, Tinubu, represented by Vice President Kashim Shettima, said the courts must prioritise the public good over narrow interests shielded by legal manoeuvres.
“Probe prosecution strategies, dismantle outdated precedents, and seal procedural gaps that politically exposed persons and organised crime actors exploit to delay or frustrate trial,” he said. He added that no well-connected individual should be able to manipulate technicalities to escape the full weight of the law.
Tinubu described financial and economic crimes as an existential threat to Nigeria and rejected the idea that the anti-corruption fight is solely an executive agenda. He said corruption affects all arms of government and ordinary citizens.
“Corruption is a battle for the nation’s collective survival. We must no longer permit legal pyrotechnics and procedural pedantry to shelter criminality,” he said. “The Bench is not merely a mechanical arbiter of rules, but an active guardian of moral order and social equity.”
He stressed that meaningful progress against graft depends on an independent, progressive and reform-minded judiciary. He also urged the courts to adapt to the changing nature of financial crime driven by blockchain technology and artificial intelligence, which have added complexity to illicit activities.
Tinubu cited recent EFCC successes, including the recovery of virtual assets linked to cryptocurrency fraud. In 2025, the agency secured the forfeiture of $22,417.91 in Bitcoin, 1,001,301.87 USDT in digital assets and $5.6 million connected to the CBEX scheme. It also prosecuted and deported 192 foreigners arrested for cyber-terrorism and cryptocurrency fraud.
He pledged executive support for the judiciary’s capacity to handle digital-age cases and acknowledged the Chief Justice of Nigeria’s reform efforts.
Chief Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun said the workshop reflects ongoing efforts by the National Judicial Institute and EFCC to address challenges in the justice system, particularly the handling of digital evidence. She noted that sustained judicial education has improved case management and the dispensation of justice.
Senate Committee Chairman on Anti-Corruption and Financial Crimes Emmanuel Udende said the timing was appropriate given the growing sophistication of financial crimes involving politically exposed persons. Attorney-General of the Federation Lateef Fagbemi, represented by Director of Public Prosecution Rotimi Oyedepo, called for greater synergy among stakeholders.
EFCC Executive Chairman Ola Olukoyede described the annual workshop as a national imperative and said the commission has recorded unprecedented convictions and recoveries under his leadership. He noted that digital innovation is outpacing existing legal frameworks for prosecution.
National Judicial Institute Administrator Justice Babatunde Adejumo said the collaboration has become central to tackling the scale of financial crimes in the digital age.
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