EFCC Takes 100 Senior Lawyers to Court Over Alleged Corruption

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has commenced trials against no fewer than 100 senior lawyers over allegations of corruption, EFCC Chairman Ola Olukoyede revealed yesterday.

Speaking in Abuja during the second annual lecture of the Body of Benchers, which drew prominent figures from the legal profession, Olukoyede highlighted the growing involvement of legal practitioners in financial crimes.
The EFCC chairman noted that the agency had received numerous petitions against members of the Bar. “We have had calls to investigate quite a number of senior members of the Bar,” he stated.
According to Olukoyede, investigations have uncovered offences ranging from the diversion of clients’ funds to facilitating money laundering. “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 added.
The Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee (LPDC) also presented its 2025 report, revealing sanctions against lawyers found guilty of professional misconduct. Onyechi Ikpeazu (SAN) stated that 17 practitioners were disciplined, including three being struck off the roll, three suspended for five years, two for four years, five for three years, four for two years, and one receiving a warning.
Chairman of the Body of Benchers and former Chief Justice of Nigeria, Kayode Ariwoola, emphasized that the gathering was aimed at reflecting on the state of the legal profession and reinforcing 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,” he said.
Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, stressed the importance of regulation in maintaining the integrity of the legal profession, noting that the Body of Benchers’ role extends beyond admitting lawyers to ensuring discipline and sustaining public confidence in the justice system.
The Body of Benchers remains Nigeria’s apex regulatory body responsible for the admission and discipline of legal practitioners. Participants at the lecture, as reported by Channels Television, underscored the need to strengthen discipline, ethics, and professionalism within the Bar to restore public trust in the judiciary.