EFCC Chairman Reveals 100 Senior Lawyers on Trial for Corruption Offences
The chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ola Olukoyede, has made a startling revelation that no fewer than 100 senior lawyers are currently on trial for corruption-related offences. He disclosed this critical information while delivering a speech at the second annual lecture of the Body of Benchers, which was held in Abuja and attended by prominent figures from the legal profession.
Growing Concern Over Lawyers' Involvement in Financial Crimes
The EFCC chairman expressed deep concern regarding the increasing involvement of legal practitioners in various financial crimes. He noted that the anti-graft agency has received numerous petitions against members of the legal profession, prompting extensive investigations. "We have had calls to investigate quite a number of senior members of the Bar," Olukoyede stated emphatically during his address.
Olukoyede, who is himself a lawyer, elaborated that investigations have uncovered a range of serious offences committed by these legal professionals. These offences include the diversion of clients' funds and active participation in money laundering schemes. "Before I came here, I checked our database and discovered that we have about 100 senior members of the Bar that we are prosecuting at the moment for those offences," he revealed, highlighting the scale of the problem.
The EFCC chairman emphasized the urgent need for collaboration between the legal community and anti-corruption agencies. "It has become very necessary for us to work together," he asserted, calling for a united front against corruption within the profession.
Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee Report Highlights Sanctions
During the same event, the Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee (LPDC) presented its comprehensive 2025 report, which detailed sanctions imposed on lawyers found guilty of professional misconduct. Onyechi Ikpeazu (SAN), while presenting the report, announced that 17 legal practitioners had been punished after being found guilty of "infamous conduct in the course of the performance of their duties as legal practitioners."
Ikpeazu provided specific details about the penalties imposed on the erring lawyers:
- Three practitioners had their names struck off the roll of legal practitioners
- Three were suspended for five years
- Two were suspended for four years
- Five were suspended for three years
- Four were suspended for two years
- One practitioner received a formal warning
Leadership Calls for Ethical Reflection and Regulation
Chairman of the Body of Benchers and former Chief Justice of Nigeria, Kayode Ariwoola, addressed the gathering, stating that the event was intended as a moment for serious reflection on the state of the legal profession. "Our gathering today is not a jamboree. It is a time of reflection on our values, ethics and ethos as well as our resilience and faith in the institution," Ariwoola declared, underscoring the gravity of the situation.
Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, emphasized the crucial importance of regulation in maintaining the integrity of the legal profession. She explained that the responsibilities of the Body of Benchers extend far beyond merely admitting new lawyers into the profession. These responsibilities include maintaining strict discipline among practitioners and preserving public confidence in the justice system, she noted during her remarks.
The revelations at the Body of Benchers annual lecture have shed significant light on the challenges facing Nigeria's legal profession, with both the EFCC and legal disciplinary bodies taking concrete actions against corruption and misconduct among legal practitioners.
