The Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, has warned that the seriousness of corruption and other financial crime allegations must not predetermine the outcome of trials, insisting that convictions must be based on credible and legally admissible evidence.
She stressed that the prosecution must establish its case in accordance with the law, regardless of the gravity of the allegations, while upholding the principles of fair hearing, due process and judicial independence.
Kekere-Ekun spoke on Tuesday in Abuja at the opening of the 8th Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC)/National Judicial Institute (NJI) Workshop for Judges and Justices, themed, “Investigation and Prosecution of Economic and Financial Crimes in a Digital Age.”
The CJN said the increasing sophistication of financial crimes, driven by emerging technologies, had introduced new complexities into criminal proceedings, requiring judges to strengthen their understanding of digital evidence while remaining guided by established legal principles.
According to her, cryptocurrency transactions, encrypted communications, electronic records and cross-border financial activities have created fresh challenges for investigators, prosecutors and judicial officers.
She emphasised that judges must understand how digital evidence is obtained, preserved, authenticated and evaluated to ensure that judicial decisions are based on reliable evidence that meets the requirements of the law.
The CJN’s position comes amid renewed calls by the Federal Government and the EFCC for more effective prosecution of corruption and financial crime cases, with stakeholders identifying procedural delays and weaknesses in investigations as major obstacles to the administration of justice.
President Bola Tinubu, represented by Vice-President Kashim Shettima at the workshop, had expressed concern that major anti-corruption prosecutions lost on procedural technicalities could undermine public confidence in the justice system.
The President urged the EFCC and the judiciary to strengthen prosecutorial discipline and close loopholes exploited by individuals seeking to frustrate trials.
However, Kekere-Ekun emphasised that efforts to improve the prosecution of financial crimes must not compromise the constitutional rights of defendants or the independence of the courts.
She called for effective case management under the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, 2015, urging judges to prevent unnecessary delays while safeguarding the rights of all parties to criminal proceedings.
The CJN noted that continued judicial education had improved judges’ capacity to handle financial crime cases but stressed the need for sustained training to keep pace with evolving criminal methods and technological developments.
She also cautioned that cooperation among institutions involved in combating financial crimes must respect the constitutional independence of the judiciary.
According to her, institutional monitoring and coordination must never extend to influencing judicial decisions, stressing the need for judges to maintain their professional standards and competence in adjudicating corruption, money laundering and other financial crimes.
Kekere-Ekun further highlighted Nigeria’s removal from the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) Grey List on October 24, 2025, describing it as an important milestone that required sustained institutional commitment.
She urged the judiciary and other relevant institutions to consolidate the gains through stronger professional capacity, effective coordination and adherence to the rule of law.
Earlier, EFCC Chairman Ola Olukoyede had identified institutional bottlenecks, procedural delays, frivolous adjournments and frequent changes of counsel as challenges undermining the effective prosecution of financial crimes.
He urged judges to ensure rigorous and expeditious adjudication, warning that prolonged trials could weaken evidence, lead to the loss of witnesses and erode public confidence in the justice system.
Olukoyede, however, maintained that the commission was committed to conducting investigations that met the required standard of proof and ensuring that asset recoveries were lawful, transparent and sustainable.
He said the EFCC was strengthening intelligence-led investigations, forensic capabilities and domestic and international cooperation to improve its response to emerging financial crimes.
Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, also stressed that successful prosecution of financial crimes depended on thorough investigations and the proper handling of digital evidence.
He said such evidence must be lawfully obtained, carefully preserved, reliably authenticated and clearly linked to the elements of the alleged offence.
Fagbemi cautioned against measuring prosecutorial success merely by arrests or charges filed, insisting that prosecutors must pursue justice through lawful means rather than seek convictions at all costs.
He also called for stronger cooperation among the Ministry of Justice, EFCC, judiciary, financial intelligence institutions and other relevant agencies to combat increasingly sophisticated and borderless financial crimes.
The workshop brought together members of the bench and bar, anti-corruption experts and other stakeholders to examine ways of strengthening the investigation and prosecution of financial crimes in an increasingly digital environment.
The three-day workshop is scheduled to end on Thursday, October 15.
