President to Judiciary: Anti-graft War Won’t Be Won By Technicalities, Frivolous Appeals, Intimidation of Judges

•Notes that prosecution of corruption cases has remarkably improved

•Lists student loan, consumer credit scheme as FG’s strategic initiatives to curb corruption

Deji Elumoye and Alex Enumah in Abuja

President Bola Tinubu yesterday identified frivolous appeals, alleged intimidation of judges by lawyers and judgments delivered on grounds of technicalities as some of the major challenges impeding the war against corruption in Nigeria.

According to him, until these challenges are curtailed, they would continue to hamper the speedy adjudication of corruption cases.

The President, who spoke while declaring open the Sixth Economic and Financial Crimes Commission/National Judicial Institute Capacity Building Workshop for Justices and Judges at the National Judicial Institute (NJI), Abuja, however, acknowledged that prosecution of corruption cases has improved remarkably, following the justice sector reforms in the last few years.

Represented at the event by Vice President Kashim Shettima, Tinubu described the capacity-building workshop as a platform to collectively raise a strong voice against Nigeria’s common enemy called corruption.

Shettima, while delivering the President’s speech at the event, stated: “There is no gainsaying the fact that the judiciary is central to the success of the anticorruption efforts. The commitment, courage and patriotism of judicial officers are ingredients that make the difference in the fight against corruption.

“Though I am aware that prosecution of corruption matters has improved in the light of the justice sector reforms in the last few years, we are not oblivious of some challenges that continue to impede the speedy adjudication of corruption cases.

“They include frivolous applications and appeals, meant to delay the trial, intimidation of judges by counsel, and judgment based not on the facts of cases but on technicalities.”

Tinubu pointed out that, “no Nigerian is immune to corruption, a cancer which continues to deny the nation the full benefits of her God-given resources,” even as he maintained that only the enlightened collective interest of all Nigerians “to close ranks and aggressively tackle this common enemy” can make the difference, instead of looking up “to only the Anti-Corruption Agencies for solutions to this malaise.”

Observing that advances in technology have increased the complexity of financial crimes beyond the scope of current jurisprudence, Tinubu cited the emergence of virtual assets, which, he said, “have occasioned an upsurge in cryptocurrency fraud.”

He urged the judicial arm of government to ensure that the courts are equipped with the required knowledge to handle cases involving these new forms of crime.

According to him: “As an administration, we remain committed to creating the right environment for judicial officers to discharge their responsibilities. One of the major actions of the government within the first year of my administration was improving the welfare of judges across the board with an increase in their remuneration.

“Official accommodation is also being provided for various categories of judicial officers in highbrow areas of the Federal Capital Territory.”

On the part of the executive arm of government, the President said his administration has, through strategic investment of recovered proceeds of corruption in critical social programmes, moved to reduce the pressure on vulnerable Nigerians to resort to corrupt practices, just as he identified the Students Loan Fund and the Consumer Credit Scheme as part of these social interventions.

His words: “The two notable ones are the Students Loan Fund being managed by NELFUND and the Consumer Credit Scheme under the supervision of the Nigerian Credit Corporation, CREDICORP.

“With easy access to loans, we are confident that most of our indigent students will have no need to embrace cybercrime, while the credit scheme offers workers easy access to money to fund their needs despite the harsh economic realities.”

He commended the EFCC, “for its commitment in fighting all economic and financial crimes, especially in tracing and recovering stolen assets.”

Tinubu assured that the federal government “will continue to support the work of the Commission to ensure that it continues to deliver its statutory mandate without let or hindrance.”

The President further thanked the leaderships of NJI and EFCC for initiating the annual workshop for prosecutors and judicial officers, expressing hope that the seminar will interrogate the challenges hampering the fight against corruption as well as provide “an opportunity for the bar and the bench to improve their capacity in dealing with emerging typologies of financial crimes.”

Earlier in her welcome address, Chief Justice of Nigeria, Hon. Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, commended the efforts of the current leadership of anti-graft agencies in the country for their commitment and collaboration with the judiciary in handling economic, financial crimes and related cases, noting that law enforcement agencies must begin to see judicial officials as partners in the anti-graft campaign in Nigeria.

She pledged the support and commitment of the judiciary in the campaign through capacity-building initiatives for justices, judges and prosecuting officers, stating that economic and financial crimes pose significant threats to national and global economies and must be tackled by all stakeholders.

On his part, Senate President, Senator Godswill Akpabio, who was represented by the Deputy Senate President, Senator Jibrin Barau, praised the collaboration between anti-graft agencies and the judiciary.

“It is incumbent on us all as stakeholders to adopt and implement pragmatic solutions that will help address challenges confronting our country, including financial crimes,” he said.

Akpabio also advocated a periodic review of laws relating to economic crimes and the creation of a central database for use by law enforcement agencies, maintaining that the complexity of financial crimes requires constant tweaking of the laws.

In his remarks, the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Benjamin Kalu, described the workshop as a significant step in the Tinubu administration’s efforts aimed at combating economic and financial crimes, emphasising that competence must be at the forefront of the reinvigorated war against corruption in Nigeria.

Also, Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Prince Lateef Fagbemi, proposed the adoption of a multifaceted approach in the fight against graft in Nigeria, just as he welcomed the continued collaboration between the EFCC and the judiciary.

In a goodwill message, former Secretary General of the Commonwealth, Chief Emeka Anyaoku, said though the menace of corruption was not peculiar to Nigeria, the dimension of the crime across the country requires value reorientation among citizens and in key agencies of government.

Also speaking, EFCC Chairman, Mr. Ola Olukoyede, said the workshop was key to addressing thorny issues in the agency’s efforts to rid the country of financial crimes.

He acknowledged challenges faced by stakeholders, saying they have affected investigations into a number of high-profile cases in the country.

Olukoyede thanked the leadership of the judiciary in the country for its support, noting that regular interactions among stakeholders would go a long way in the realisation of the renewed vision and objectives of all anti-graft agencies under the current administration.