President Bola Tinubu has urged Nigeria’s judiciary to strengthen its capacity to address emerging challenges in the administration of justice, particularly the growing sophistication of economic and financial crimes in the digital age.
The President spoke in Abuja while declaring open the 8th Capacity Building Workshop for Justices and Judges, organised by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the National Judicial Institute (NJI).
The 2026 workshop, themed “Investigation and Prosecution of Economic and Financial Crimes in a Digital Age,” brought together judicial officers from Nigeria’s superior and lower courts to strengthen their capacity to handle technology-driven crimes.
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The President said advances in blockchain technology and artificial intelligence had made financial crimes more complex, requiring law enforcement agencies and judicial authorities to continually update their knowledge and skills.
He cited EFCC recoveries in cryptocurrency-related fraud cases, including the forfeiture of $22,417.91 worth of Bitcoin, 1,001,301.87 USDT in digital assets and $5.6 million linked to the CBEX scheme in 2025.
He also said 192 foreign nationals arrested for cyberterrorism and cryptocurrency fraud were prosecuted and subsequently deported.
President Tinubu urged the judiciary to close procedural loopholes and address prosecution weaknesses that allow politically exposed persons and organised criminal groups to delay or frustrate trials.
A Call For Reforms
He called for reforms that would prevent individuals from exploiting legal technicalities to evade justice.
The Nigerian leader described corruption and financial crimes as threats to national survival, stressing that the fight against corruption required the collective commitment of the executive, legislature, judiciary and citizens.
He also pledged continued government support to strengthen judicial capacity and independence.
President Tinubu was represented at the event by Vice President Kashim Shettima.
The Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, said “technological developments had transformed the collection and documentation of digital evidence, making effective case management and continuous judicial training increasingly important.”
She noted that sustained capacity development had contributed to improvements in judicial officers’ handling of cases and delivery of justice.
Proactive legislation
The Chairman of the Senate Committee on Anti-Corruption and Financial Crimes, Senator Emmanuel Udende, said the workshop was timely, given the growing complexity of financial crimes, particularly cases involving politically exposed persons.
He reaffirmed the National Assembly’s commitment to supporting the anti-corruption campaign through proactive legislation.
The Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, represented by the Director of Public Prosecution, Rotimi Oyedepo, called for stronger collaboration among government institutions, noting that no arm of government could effectively tackle corruption alone.
The Administrator of the NJI, Justice Babatunde Adejumo, said the institute’s partnership with the EFCC had become an important part of efforts to strengthen the judiciary’s response to financial crimes in the digital era.
EFCC Chairman Ola Olukoyede described the workshop as a national imperative, saying the commission had recorded significant convictions and financial recoveries over the past three years.
He pledged transparent and accountable management of recovered funds and assets, while warning that technological advances were outpacing existing legal frameworks for prosecuting financial crimes.
