By Cross Udo, Abuja
President Bola Tinubu has called on the Judiciary to close procedural loopholes and review outdated legal precedents that enable politically exposed persons and organised crime actors to delay trials or evade justice.
Tinubu made the call on Tuesday in Abuja at the 8th annual EFCC/National Judicial Institute Capacity Building Workshop for Judges and Justices, represented by Vice President Kashim Shettima.
The President said the growing sophistication of financial crimes required a corresponding transformation of Nigeria’s justice system, particularly in the way economic and financial crime cases are investigated, prosecuted and adjudicated.
He urged the Judiciary to interrogate existing statutory frameworks, prosecution strategies and judicial precedents that could be exploited to frustrate criminal trials.
“Probe prosecution strategies, dismantle outdated precedents, and seal procedural gaps that politically exposed persons and organised crime actors exploit to delay or frustrate trial,” Tinubu said.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 warned that Nigeria could not make meaningful progress against corruption if legal technicalities continued to provide escape routes for individuals accused of serious crimes.
Tinubu said corruption was not merely an Executive problem, stressing that compromised public institutions affected the Executive, Legislature, Judiciary and citizens.
“Corruption is a battle for the nation’s collective survival. We must no longer permit legal pyrotechnics and procedural pedantry to shelter criminality,” he said.
The President argued that the courts must balance strict adherence to law with the broader public interest, insisting that the justice system should remain responsive to emerging threats.
He said an independent, progressive and reform-minded Bench was essential to sustaining the fight against corruption and financial crimes.
Tinubu said technological advances had transformed the nature and reach of financial crimes, with blockchain technology and artificial intelligence creating new avenues for criminal activity.
He urged investigators, prosecutors and judicial officers to continuously upgrade their knowledge and strategies to prevent criminals from exploiting technological gaps in the justice system.
The President cited recent EFCC efforts against cryptocurrency fraud and the recovery of virtual assets as evidence of growing institutional capacity to confront digital crimes.
He disclosed that in 2025, the commission secured the forfeiture of $22,417.91 worth of Bitcoin, 1,001,301.87 USDT in digital assets and $5.6 million linked to the CBEX scheme.
Tinubu also said 192 foreigners arrested for cyber-terrorism and cryptocurrency fraud were successfully prosecuted and subsequently deported.
He said the developments demonstrated the need for the Judiciary to match enforcement agencies in building capacity to handle increasingly complex digital evidence and financial crime cases.
Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, said technological changes had significantly altered how digital evidence was obtained and presented, making disciplined case management increasingly important.
She said sustained judicial education and capacity development were producing improvements in the conduct of judicial officers, particularly in case management and justice delivery.
Senate Committee Chairman on Anti-Corruption and Financial Crimes, Senator Emmanuel Udende, described the workshop as timely, particularly amid the growing sophistication of corruption and financial crimes involving politically exposed persons.
Minister of Justice and Attorney-General of the Federation, Lateef Fagbemi, represented by the Director of Public Prosecutions, Rotimi Oyedepo, called for stronger collaboration among investigators, prosecutors, lawyers and judicial officers.
EFCC Chairman Ola Olukoyede said technological innovation was advancing faster than existing legal instruments, creating fresh challenges for the investigation and prosecution of financial crimes.
He said the commission remained committed to institutional reforms, convictions and recoveries while ensuring that recovered assets were handled transparently and judiciously.
