President Bola Tinubu has urged Nigerian judges to close procedural loopholes that politically exposed persons and organised criminal networks exploit to delay or frustrate corruption trials, calling for reforms to strengthen the country’s criminal justice system.
Tinubu said the fight against corruption would remain ineffective without an independent, progressive and reform-minded judiciary capable of responding to evolving forms of financial crime.
The President made the call on Tuesday in Abuja at the eighth annual Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and National Judicial Institute (NJI) Capacity Building Workshop for Judges and Justices. Vice-President Kashim Shettima represented him at the event.
According to a statement issued by Stanley Nkwocha, Senior Special Assistant on Media and Communications in the Office of the Vice-President, Tinubu challenged judicial officers to review outdated precedents, strengthen case management and examine prosecution strategies that could allow influential suspects to frustrate criminal proceedings.
He urged judges to “probe prosecution strategies, dismantle outdated precedents, and seal procedural gaps that politically exposed persons and organised crime actors exploit to delay or frustrate trial”.
The President warned that excessive reliance on procedural technicalities could weaken public confidence in the justice system and undermine efforts to hold offenders accountable.
“We must no longer permit legal pyrotechnics and procedural pedantry to shelter criminality. The Bench is not merely a mechanical arbiter of rules, but an active guardian of moral order and social equity,” he said.
Tinubu added that the law should serve the public interest rather than provide opportunities for individuals to evade accountability through technical manoeuvres.
“Our courts must embody the spirit, and not just the arid letter, of the law,” he said.
Tinubu warns of growing digital financial crimes
The President also warned that advances in technology, including artificial intelligence, blockchain and cryptocurrency platforms, were creating new challenges for investigators, prosecutors and judicial officers.
He described the workshop, themed “Investigation and Prosecution of Economic and Financial Crimes in a Digital Age,” as timely, given the increasing sophistication of technology-driven offences.
According to Tinubu, emerging technologies have expanded the reach and complexity of illicit financial activities, requiring law enforcement agencies and the judiciary to continually update their knowledge and methods.
“Because these modern crimes constantly mutate, law enforcement and judicial authorities must continuously build capacity to adapt and respond effectively,” he said.
He called for stronger technical expertise within the justice system to ensure that courts can effectively handle complex financial crime cases involving digital evidence and virtual assets.
Tinubu also commended the EFCC for its operations against cryptocurrency-related fraud and its recovery of digital assets linked to financial crimes.
He said the commission’s recent activities demonstrated progress in confronting emerging forms of economic crime.
The President further stated that 192 foreign nationals arrested in connection with cyber-terrorism and cryptocurrency fraud had been prosecuted and subsequently deported.
“We are already on the right trajectory. The EFCC’s recent momentum in tackling cryptocurrency fraud and its commendable strides in recovering virtual assets are highly reassuring,” he said.
Chief Justice calls for stronger judicial capacity
Earlier, the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, said the growing sophistication of technology-driven financial crimes required improved judicial knowledge, disciplined case management and stronger collaboration among institutions.
She noted that technological advances had changed how digital evidence is obtained, preserved and presented in court, making continuous training essential for judicial officers.
Kekere-Ekun said sustained judicial education initiatives were producing positive results, particularly in case management and justice delivery.
She also described the EFCC-NJI partnership as an important platform for addressing emerging challenges in the criminal justice system.
EFCC, Justice Ministry seek closer institutional cooperation
EFCC Chairman Ola Olukoyede described the workshop as a national imperative, saying it had become an important feature of the annual programmes of both institutions.
He said the commission had recorded significant convictions and financial recoveries over the past three years, while maintaining its commitment to transparency and accountability in managing recovered assets.
However, Olukoyede warned that advances in digital technology were increasingly outpacing existing legal frameworks and prosecution procedures.
He called for continued legal reforms and capacity development to help the justice system respond effectively to changing patterns of corruption and financial crime.
The Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Prince Lateef Fagbemi, represented by the Director of Public Prosecution, Rotimi Oyedepo, also stressed the need for closer cooperation among institutions responsible for investigating, prosecuting andadjudicating financial crimes.
He urged judges, lawyers and prosecutors to use the workshop to improve their professional competence, noting that no single arm of government could successfully combat corruption alone.
The Administrator of the National Judicial Institute, Justice Babatunde Adejumo, said the institute’s partnership with the EFCC remained central to efforts to strengthen judicial capacity to handle emerging financial crimes.
Tinubu’s intervention places renewed emphasis on the judiciary’s role in anti-corruption efforts, particularly as investigators and prosecutors confront increasingly complex digital offences. The challenge, however, is to strengthen the effectiveness of criminal proceedings while preserving due process, judicial independence and the rights of defendants.
