The chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ola Olukoyede, has disclosed that at least 100 senior lawyers are currently facing trial over corruption-related offenses.
Olukoyede made the revelation on Friday while speaking at the second annual lecture of the Body of Benchers in Abuja, an event attended by leading figures in the legal profession.
He expressed concern over the growing involvement of lawyers in financial crimes, noting that the anti-graft agency had received multiple petitions against members of the Bar.
“We have had calls to investigate quite a number of senior members of the Bar,” he said, adding that investigations uncovered offenses ranging from the diversion of clients’ funds to aiding 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,” Olukoyede stated.
The lecture also featured the presentation of the 2025 report of the Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee (LPDC). Onyechi Ikpeazu, who presented the report, revealed that 17 legal practitioners were sanctioned for professional misconduct, with penalties ranging from warnings to being struck off the roll of legal practitioners.
“Three of the indicted practitioners had their names struck off the roll, three were suspended for five years, two for four years, five for three years, four for two years, while the last one was given a warning,” Ikpeazu said.
Kayode Ariwoola, chairman of the Body of Benchers, emphasised that the gathering was intended for reflection on ethics, values, and the resilience of the legal profession.
Chief Justice of Nigeria, Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, highlighted the importance of regulation in sustaining public confidence, noting that the responsibilities of the Body of Benchers extend beyond admitting lawyers to enforcing discipline and maintaining the integrity of the justice system.