Close Loopholes Exploited by Criminals, Tinubu Urges Judiciary
President Bola Tinubu has asked the Nigerian judiciary to dismantle procedural loopholes and flawed prosecution tactics that allow high-profile criminals to escape justice.
Speaking on Tuesday at the 8th annual EFCC/NJI Capacity Building Workshop for Judges and Justices in Abuja, the President demanded an aggressive overhaul of the justice system to stop well-connected individuals from manipulating technicalities.
The President, represented by Vice President Kashim Shettima, urged judicial officers to aggressively interrogate existing statutory frameworks against the backdrop of emerging, highly sophisticated financial crimes.
President Tinubu warned that framing the anti-corruption campaign as purely an executive agenda is a fundamental error. He noted that corruption poses an existential threat to Nigeria and spares no arm of government.
“Probe prosecution strategies, dismantle outdated precedents, and seal procedural gaps that politically exposed persons and organised crime actors exploit to delay or frustrate trial. We must no longer permit legal pyrotechnics and procedural pedantry to shelter criminality,” he said.
He maintained that the Bench must act as an active guardian of moral order rather than a mechanical arbiter of rules, stating that true progress against graft is impossible without an independent, progressive, and reform-minded Bench.
The Rise of Digital and Crypto Crimes
The theme of this year’s workshop, “Investigation and Prosecution of Economic and Financial Crimes in a Digital Age,” highlights a rapidly shifting criminal landscape. Tinubu noted that technology, blockchain, and artificial intelligence (AI) have amplified the reach of illicit actors.
To combat this, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has ramped up its digital enforcement. The President highlighted the anti-graft agency’s recent milestone recoveries, including digital asset forfeiture of $22,417.91 in Bitcoin and over 1 million USDT as well as $5.6 million linked directly to the fraudulent CBEX scheme.
Justice Sector Backs Reforms
Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Hon. Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, affirmed that technology has drastically changed how digital evidence is obtained and recorded. She emphasized that the effective administration of justice in the digital era requires firm, disciplined case management and continuous judicial education.
Supporting this stance, Senate Committee Chairman on Anti-Corruption and Financial Crimes, Sen. Emmanuel Udende, pledged the National Assembly’s commitment to passing proactive legislation that enhances the anti-graft war.
Similarly, the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Prince Lateef Fagbemi (represented by Director of Public Prosecution Mr. Rotimi Oyedepo), NJI Administrator Justice Babatunde Adejumo, and EFCC Executive Chairman Ola Olukoyede all called for deeper institutional synergy to prevent legal frameworks from being outpaced by technological innovation.
