The Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ola Olukoyede, has called for faster judicial proceedings in corruption cases, warning that prolonged trials could weaken evidence, frustrate accountability and diminish public trust in the justice system.
Olukoyede made the appeal in Abuja during the opening of the eighth EFCC/National Judicial Institute (NJI) Workshop for Judges and Justices, which focused on the challenges of investigating and prosecuting economic and financial crimes in the digital era.
The three-day workshop, themed “Investigation and Prosecution of Economic and Financial Crimes in a Digital Age,” brought together judicial officers, legal practitioners and other stakeholders involved in Nigeria’s anti-corruption efforts.
The EFCC chairman identified procedural bottlenecks, repeated adjournments and frequent changes of legal representation as some of the obstacles slowing down the determination of complex financial crime cases.
He warned that when proceedings drag on for extended periods, witnesses may become unavailable or struggle to recall crucial details, while evidence may lose its reliability and effectiveness.
According to him, prolonged litigation also risks creating the impression that the justice system is unable to deliver timely outcomes in cases involving allegations of financial misconduct.
“When financial crime cases are allowed to drift indefinitely, the integrity of the process erodes. Evidence deteriorates and loses its cogency.
“Witnesses disappear, relocate, or suffer memory lapses. Public confidence in the judicial system completely evaporates. Justice delayed indefinitely defeats accountability,” Olukoyede said.
He maintained that corruption cases required judges to demonstrate integrity, courage and an unwavering commitment to the rule of law.
However, the EFCC boss clarified that his appeal for faster trials was not a call for judicial officers to disregard legal procedures or sacrifice fairness in the pursuit of convictions.
Instead, he urged the courts to ensure that cases were handled diligently and concluded without avoidable delays.
Olukoyede said the commission was equally concerned about the quality of investigations and prosecutions, stressing that arrests and charges alone were insufficient measures of success.
He explained that investigators must gather credible evidence, prosecutors must prepare cases capable of meeting the required standard of proof, and recovered assets must be handled through lawful and transparent procedures.
“We ask only for rigorous, expeditious adjudication,” he said, insisting that the EFCC was not advocating shortcuts or the fabrication of evidence to secure convictions.
He also challenged judges to consider the long-term implications of their decisions, particularly their potential influence on accountability and public confidence in the administration of justice.
CJN highlights challenges of digital evidence
The Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, called for continuous improvement in the judiciary’s ability to handle financial crimes involving sophisticated technology and electronic transactions.
She noted that cryptocurrency dealings, encrypted communications, electronic records and international financial transactions had introduced new complexities into criminal proceedings.
Kekere-Ekun said judges must understand the processes involved in obtaining, preserving, authenticating and evaluating digital evidence to determine whether it meets legal requirements.
She emphasised that the seriousness of an allegation must not influence the outcome of a trial, maintaining that prosecutors must establish their cases through credible and legally admissible evidence.
The Chief Justice also urged judges to apply the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, 2015, effectively by preventing unnecessary delays while protecting the rights of all parties.
She said continued judicial training had strengthened the capacity of judicial officers to adjudicate financial crime cases and highlighted Nigeria’s removal from the Financial Action Task Force’s Grey List on October 24, 2025, as an important achievement requiring sustained institutional commitment.
Kekere-Ekun, however, cautioned that collaboration between anti-corruption agencies and the judiciary must not compromise judicial independence.
She stressed that institutional coordination and monitoring should never be used to influence how judges decide cases.
AGF calls for evidence-based prosecutions
The Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, said effective prosecution begins with thorough investigations and the proper handling of evidence.
He explained that digital evidence must be obtained legally, preserved securely, authenticated reliably and connected to the specific elements of the alleged offence.
Fagbemi warned against judging the performance of anti-corruption agencies by the number of suspects arrested or charges filed, arguing that greater importance should be attached to investigative integrity, fairness and the sustainability of judicial outcomes.
Describing prosecutors as ministers of justice, he said their responsibility was to ensure that justice prevailed through lawful means rather than pursue convictions at all costs.
He urged investigators, prosecutors, defence lawyers and judges to discharge their responsibilities professionally, adding that the need for speedy trials must not undermine the right to a fair hearing.
Stronger cooperation needed for asset recovery
Fagbemi also underscored the importance of effective asset recovery in the fight against financial crimes.
He cited the Proceeds of Crime (Recovery and Management) Act, 2022, as a legal framework for tracing, preserving, recovering and managing assets suspected to be connected to unlawful activities.
He maintained that recovery efforts must be supported by credible evidence and proper judicial procedures, with due regard for the rights of affected persons.
The attorney-general further called for improved forensic capabilities, stronger information sharing and greater international cooperation to address financial crimes that increasingly extend beyond national borders.
He urged relevant institutions to replace rivalry with cooperation, identifying the Federal Ministry of Justice, EFCC, judiciary, financial intelligence institutions and other agencies as key partners in strengthening Nigeria’s anti-corruption framework.
The workshop is expected to provide a platform for participants to examine emerging investigative methods, the admissibility of digital evidence and practical ways to improve the prosecution and adjudication of economic and financial crimes.
The discussions come amid growing demands for an effective justice system that can address corruption promptly while preserving due process, judicial independence and the rights of every defendant.
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