The Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ola Olukoyede, has disclosed that about 100 senior lawyers are currently being prosecuted for corruption-related offences.
The EFCC boss raised concerns over the increasing involvement of legal practitioners in financial crimes, noting that the commission had received numerous petitions against members of the profession.
He made this disclosure on Thursday in Abuja during the second annual lecture organised by the Body of Benchers, an event attended by prominent members of Nigeria’s legal community.
Olukoyede explained that ongoing investigations have revealed a variety of offences, including the diversion of clients’ funds and participation in money laundering schemes.
“We have had calls to investigate quite a number of senior members of the Bar. 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.
“It has become very necessary for us to work together,” he said.
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Meanwhile, the Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee (LPDC) also presented its 2025 disciplinary report, detailing sanctions imposed on lawyers found guilty of professional misconduct.
Presenting the report, Onyechi Ikpeazu (SAN) said 17 legal practitioners were disciplined after investigations confirmed violations of professional ethics.
According to him, the affected lawyers were sanctioned for “infamous conduct in the course of the performance of their duties as legal practitioners.”
Ikpeazu explained that the disciplinary measures included striking names off the roll of legal practitioners as well as various suspension terms.
“Three of the indicted practitioners had their names struck off the roll of legal practitioners,” he said.
“Three were suspended for five years, two were suspended for four years, five were suspended for three years, four were suspended for two years, while the last one was given a warning.”
Chairman of the Body of Benchers and former Chief Justice of Nigeria, Kayode Ariwoola, said the annual lecture was designed to encourage reflection on the condition of the legal profession and reinforce ethical values among practitioners.
“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 said.
Also speaking, the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, stressed the importance of strict regulation in safeguarding the integrity of the legal profession.
She noted that the responsibilities of the Body of Benchers go beyond admitting lawyers into practice, adding that the body also plays a crucial role in enforcing discipline and maintaining public confidence in the justice system.
The Body of Benchers serves as the highest regulatory authority overseeing the admission and discipline of legal practitioners in Nigeria.
Participants at the lecture, according to a report by Channels Television, emphasised that strengthening discipline, ethics and professionalism within the Bar is vital to restoring public trust in the nation’s justice system.
