President Bola Tinubu has pledged to tackle corruption head-on, emphasising that no Nigerian is immune to its effects.
In his address at the 6th Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) – National Judicial Institute (NJI) Workshop for Justices and Judges in Abuja, represented by Vice President Kashim Shettima, Tinubu noted that corruption has become a cancer denying Nigeria the full benefits of its resources. He stressed the need for collective action against corruption.
According to him, Nigeria’s corruption crisis has reached alarming levels, denying the nation the full benefits of its resources.
Tinubu declared that his administration aims to combat this through strengthened anti-corruption agencies and judicial reforms.
The President noted that the EFCC has made significant strides in prosecuting corruption cases, with notable improvements in the justice sector. However, challenges persist, including frivolous applications, intimidation of judges, and conflicting court orders.
He said, “No Nigerian is immune from corruption, a cancer which continues to deny the nation the full benefits of its God-given resources. Rather than look up only to the anti-corruption agencies for a solution to this malaise, I believe it is in our enlightened collective interest to close ranks and aggressively tackle this common enemy.
“We must tackle challenges impeding the speedy adjudication of corruption cases, including frivolous applications and appeals, intimidation of judges by counsel, judgment not based on facts of cases but on technicalities.
“We will also continue to support the work of the EFCC to ensure that it continues to deliver its statutory mandate without let or hindrance.”
EFCC chairman, Ola Olukoyede, highlighted additional obstacles, such as frequent adjournments, unwarranted injunctions, and suspects using courts to evade investigation.
Despite these challenges, the EFCC remains undeterred, engaging stakeholders locally and globally to combat corruption in Nigeria.
Olukoyede announced that the commission has established the Fraud Risk Assessment and Control (FRAC) to prevent corruption.
He explained, “the spectre of frequent adjournments of high-profile corruption cases arising from frivolous applications, conflicting orders by courts of coordinate jurisdiction in corruption cases, intemperate contempt orders hauled at the Commission’s leadership, unwarranted orders of injunction restraining the Commission from investigating cases, are among a plethora of issues that bother the EFCC.
“As a Commission, our efforts at integrating stakeholders in the fight against corruption are continuous. Earlier this year, we held a Stakeholders Dialogue on the issue of cybercrime where we equally unveiled the Commission’s new focus on corruption prevention with the establishment of Fraud Risk Assessment and Control, FRAC.
“We are convinced that it is ultimately more profitable to prevent than to investigate and prosecute corruption cases.”
Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, advocated for a unified structure for information sharing across institutions to enhance anti-corruption efforts.
“For every stakeholder in the anti-corruption corridor to be integrated, there would be a need for the establishment of a coherent and unified structure for information sharing across institutions.
“No single entity can have a complete view of the financial system, making it imperative that information flows seamlessly among all stakeholders,” she stated.
Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, emphasized the importance of strong legal frameworks, effective law enforcement, and international cooperation in combating financial crimes.
Fagbemi stated, “Building strong legal frameworks, effective law enforcement, and international cooperation are imperative to combat financial crimes and unify stakeholders.
“Let us renew our commitment to justice, integrity, and the well-being of our nation.”
The workshop, themed ‘Integrating Stakeholders in Curbing Economic and Financial Crimes,’ brought together top government officials, civil society organizations, and anti-corruption bodies to strategize against corruption.
