ABUJA, NIGERIA — The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has revealed that no fewer than 100 senior lawyers in Nigeria are currently under prosecution for various corruption-related offences, even as the Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee (LPDC) announced sanctions against 17 others for professional misconduct .
The disclosures were made during the second annual lecture of the Body of Benchers held in Abuja, an event attended by the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun; the Attorney General of the Federation, Prince Lateef Fagbemi, SAN; and NBA President Mazi Afam Osigwe, SAN .
EFCC Chairman Ola Olukoyede, himself a lawyer, disclosed that a check of the commission’s database revealed about 100 senior members of the Bar currently facing prosecution .
“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,” Olukoyede stated .
The EFCC boss revealed that investigations uncovered offences ranging from diversion of clients’ funds to aiding money laundering, stressing the need for closer collaboration between the EFCC and the legal profession to address misconduct and protect the integrity of the justice system .
This is not the first time Olukoyede has raised concerns about lawyers’ involvement in financial crimes. In November 2024, he had insisted that no mega financial fraud could be perfected in the country without lawyers’ input, citing cases like the P&ID scam and Mambilla Power Project as examples .
LPDC Sanctions 17 Lawyers
Presenting the LPDC’s 2025 disciplinary report, Onyechi Ikpeazu, SAN, revealed that 17 legal practitioners were punished after being found guilty of “infamous conduct in the course of the performance of their duties as legal practitioners” .
The penalties ranged from striking off the roll of legal practitioners to various periods of suspension :
· Three practitioners had their names struck off the roll
· Three were suspended for five years
· Two were suspended for four years
· Five were suspended for three years
· Four were suspended for two years
· One received a warning
NBA Reacts, Defends Profession
The revelation sparked immediate reaction from the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA). President Mazi Afam Osigwe, SAN, challenged the EFCC Chairman to provide empirical evidence backing his claims, warning against hasty generalizations that tarnish the entire profession .
“In the absence of evidence, such statements should never be made. We are proud members of the legal profession, and we must draw the line between performing our professional duties and aiding the commission of crime. We do not do that,” Osigwe stated .
The NBA urged anyone with evidence against any lawyer to forward a petition to the LPDC, insisting that the body has the capacity to weed out bad eggs .
CJN, Body of Benchers Weigh In
Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, stressed the importance of effective regulation in preserving the integrity of the legal profession, noting that the responsibilities of the Body of Benchers extend beyond the admission of lawyers into the profession to ensuring discipline and safeguarding public confidence in the justice system .
Kayode Ariwoola, Chairman of the Body of Benchers and former Chief Justice of Nigeria, said the lecture was convened to encourage reflection on the state of the legal profession and reinforce ethical standards .
“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 .
Broader Judicial Cleansing
The development is part of a wider judicial cleansing effort. President Bola Tinubu had earlier tasked the judiciary to take decisive action to tackle concerns about its integrity, warning that justice must never be for sale .
“This is not a task for the National Judicial Council alone; it is a collective duty that rests on every judicial officer. Discipline within the Judiciary must be firm, transparent, and consistent. Only a Judiciary that cleanses itself can command the moral authority to cleanse society,” President Tinubu stated during the 2025 All Nigerian Judges Conference .
As both the LPDC and the EFCC tackle the rot within the Bar, expectations are equally high that the same gesture would be extended to the Bench by both the National Judicial Council (NJC) and other relevant agencies .
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