Tinubu Urges Judiciary to Close Legal Loopholes Used by Corruption Suspects

President Bola Tinubu has urged Nigeria’s judiciary to review prosecution strategies and address procedural weaknesses that allow corruption suspects and organised crime actors to delay or frustrate criminal trials.

Tinubu made the call on Tuesday, October 13, 2026, in Abuja in an address delivered by Vice President Kashim Shettima at the eighth annual capacity-building workshop organised by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the National Judicial Institute (NJI) for judges and justices.

The President called for reforms to ensure that outdated legal precedents and procedural gaps do not become instruments for evading justice, particularly in cases involving politically exposed persons and individuals accused of financial crimes.

“Probe prosecution strategies, dismantle outdated precedents, and seal procedural gaps that politically exposed persons and organised crime actors exploit to delay or frustrate trial,” Tinubu said.

He described corruption as a threat to Nigeria’s collective survival, arguing that the fight against graft should not be viewed solely as an executive responsibility because its effects cut across all arms of government and the wider society.

According to the President, meaningful progress against corruption would remain difficult without an independent and reform-minded judiciary capable of upholding the law while protecting the public interest.

He urged judicial officers to respond to changes in financial crime, particularly the growing use of digital technology, artificial intelligence and blockchain systems to facilitate illicit activities.

The workshop, themed “Investigation and Prosecution of Economic and Financial Crimes in a Digital Age,” brought together judicial officers and other stakeholders to examine the challenges technology poses to investigations, prosecution and the administration of criminal justice.

Tinubu cited EFCC recoveries involving cryptocurrency-related fraud as evidence of the need to strengthen the country’s response to technology-driven crime.

According to figures contained in his address, the commission secured the forfeiture in 2025 of $22,417.91 worth of Bitcoin, 1,001,301.87 USDT in digital assets and $5.6 million linked to the CBEX investment scheme.

He also said 192 foreign nationals arrested in connection with cyberterrorism and cryptocurrency fraud had been prosecuted and subsequently deported.

The President urged the judiciary to build on law enforcement efforts by improving its capacity to handle digital evidence and complex financial investigations. He also pledged the executive’s support for initiatives aimed at strengthening the judiciary and improving justice delivery.

Chief Justice of Nigeria Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, who also addressed the workshop, said technological developments had changed how digital evidence was obtained, preserved and presented in court.

She stressed the importance of disciplined case management and continuous judicial education in ensuring that criminal proceedings remain effective in an increasingly digital environment.

Kekere-Ekun said collaboration between the EFCC and the NJI was helping to strengthen judicial capacity, adding that sustained professional development had contributed to improvements in case management and the administration of justice.

Senator Emmanuel Udende, chairman of the Senate Committee on Anti-Corruption and Financial Crimes, described the workshop as timely, given the increasing sophistication of financial crimes and the difficulties associated with prosecuting cases involving politically exposed persons.

He reaffirmed the National Assembly’s commitment to supporting the anti-corruption campaign through legislation.

Meanwhile, Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice Lateef Fagbemi, represented by the Director of Public Prosecution, Rotimi Oyedepo, called for stronger cooperation among government institutions and legal practitioners to improve investigations and prosecutions.

NJI Administrator Babatunde Adejumo said the institute’s partnership with the EFCC had become an important part of efforts to strengthen judicial responses to financial crime.

EFCC Chairman Ola Olukoyede also warned that technological innovation was advancing faster than some existing legal instruments and prosecutorial procedures. He said the commission had recorded significant convictions and financial recoveries during his tenure and emphasised the need for recovered assets to be handled transparently.

The workshop comes amid growing concerns about cryptocurrency investment fraud, cybercrime and the challenges of securing admissible digital evidence. Participants were urged to strengthen institutional cooperation and develop the technical expertise required to ensure that emerging forms of financial crime can be investigated and prosecuted effectively.