President Bola Tinubu has called on Nigerian judges to close procedural loopholes exploited by politically exposed persons and organised crime suspects to delay or frustrate corruption trials.
The President says the fight against corruption requires an independent and proactive judiciary capable of responding to emerging forms of financial crime and ensuring that justice is not delayed.
Tinubu makes the call in Abuja at the eighth annual capacity-building workshop for judges and justices, organised by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, and the National Judicial Institute, NJI.
Represented by Vice President Kashim Shettima, the President urges judicial officers to review prosecution strategies, reconsider outdated legal precedents, and address procedural gaps that allow suspects to frustrate criminal proceedings.
Mediaplusng.com reports that Tinubu warns against the misuse of legal procedures to shield individuals accused of wrongdoing.
He says corruption is not the responsibility of the executive arm alone, but a challenge affecting all arms of government and society.
The President insists that legal technicalities must not become instruments for protecting criminality, while urging judges to balance the rights of defendants with the broader public interest and the effective administration of justice.
Tinubu also highlights the growing challenges posed by digital technology, particularly blockchain and artificial intelligence, which criminals increasingly exploit to carry out sophisticated financial crimes.
He says investigators, prosecutors and judges must strengthen their knowledge and technical capacity to handle cases involving cryptocurrency, virtual assets and other forms of digital evidence.
The President cites the EFCC’s recovery of cryptocurrency and other digital assets as evidence of progress in tackling technology-related financial crimes.
According to him, the commission secured the forfeiture of Bitcoin valued at 22,417 dollars and 91 cents, more than one million USDT in digital assets, and 5.6 million dollars linked to the CBEX scheme in 2025.
He also states that 192 foreign nationals arrested for cyberterrorism and cryptocurrency fraud have been prosecuted and deported.
Tinubu warns that the justice system risks falling behind technological developments if judicial officers fail to acquire the expertise required to understand and assess digital evidence.
He commends the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, for her efforts to reform the judiciary and pledges the Federal Government’s support for improved justice delivery in the digital age.
Meanwhile, the Chief Justice of Nigeria calls for stronger case management systems to improve the administration of justice.
Kekere-Ekun explains that technological advances have transformed how digital evidence is obtained, preserved and presented in court, making continuous training essential for judicial officers.
She says capacity-building programmes are helping judges improve case management and strengthen the justice system.
Also speaking, the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Anti-Corruption and Financial Crimes, Emmanuel Udende, describes the workshop as timely, given the increasing sophistication of financial crimes, particularly those involving politically exposed persons.
He assures that the National Assembly will continue to support anti-corruption efforts through appropriate legislation.
The Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, represented by the Director of Public Prosecution, Rotimi Oyedepo, calls for stronger cooperation among government institutions and other stakeholders.
Fagbemi urges judges and lawyers to use the workshop to improve their capacity to support thorough investigations and diligent prosecutions.
The Administrator of the National Judicial Institute, Babatunde Adejumo, describes the partnership between the institute and the EFCC as an important part of efforts to strengthen judicial responses to financial crimes.
EFCC Chairman Ola Olukoyede also says the workshop remains a key component of both institutions’ annual programmes.
He highlights the commission’s convictions and financial recoveries over the past three years, stressing that recovered funds and assets must be managed transparently.
Olukoyede, however, expresses concern that technological developments are advancing faster than the legal tools available to investigate and prosecute financial crimes.
The workshop focuses on investigation and prosecution of economic and financial crimes in a digital age, with discussions centred on judicial capacity, effective case management and the need to close gaps that delay corruption trials.
As Nigeria intensifies its fight against corruption, the central challenge remains ensuring that investigations are thorough, prosecutions are diligent, judicial proceedings are fair, and cases are concluded without unnecessary delays.
