From Godwin Tsa, Abuja
The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) has threatened to commence legal actions against the Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Mr. Ola Olukoyede, for accusing lawyers of compromising the fight against corruption.
Speaking at the sixth Annual Criminal Law Review Conference in Abuja, the EFCC boss noted that no mega financial fraud could take place without the input and support of lawyers. “The most traumatic discovery of the EFCC in recent years was the subjugation of national interest and well-being to personal interest by lawyers, who aided briefcase foreign investors to fleece the nation in dubious transactions.”
He cited “the P&ID scam, the Mambilla Power Project and Sunrise issues as cases in point.”
But, responding to the allegation yesterday, President of the NBA, Mazi Afam Osigwe, SAN, carpeted the EFCC chairman for portraying members of the legal profession in a bad light.
Osigwe, who spoke shortly after the legal body unveiled the logo and theme of its 2025 Annual General Conference billed to hold in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, maintained that the EFCC boss lacked the evidence to support his allegation.
He said: “We challenge the EFCC Chairman to come up with empirical evidence and if he cannot, he should never make such a statement again.
“Unfortunately, he is one of us. He is a lawyer. We had earlier drawn his attention to the fact that many men and women that make the investigation and prosecution of cases by the EFCC worthwhile are lawyers.
“Is he then suggesting that those lawyers working with him are aiding money laundering and financing terrorism?
“It is common in Nigeria for people to make hasty generalisations, yet, very few lawyers, to my knowledge, have been prosecuted by the EFCC for aiding money laundering.
“If, for example, he has evidence of many lawyers who have aided money laundering and who are standing trial or who may have been convicted or who had pleaded guilty, then, one could say that he has evidence.
“It is unfortunate that such a statement was made and I am sure that with the benefit of hindsight, he would not have made that statement.
“The point must be made that all of us must be committed to ensuring that we do not use our professional services to aid money laundering or terrorism financing, but no agency should utilise the public platform to suggest that members of the legal profession are the most guilty members of the public in aiding one crime or the other.
“In the absence of evidence, such a statement should never be made. We are proud members of the legal profession and we must draw the line in performing our professional duties and aiding the commission of crime. We do not do that.
“There may be a few bad eggs but that does not represent the picture or the majority of lawyers who toil to build up a reputation of integrity and professionalism.
The EFCC Chairman should not for whatever reason soil that image by portraying all of us as aiders of money laundering.
“If that happens again, we will take legal action to protect the image of the legal profession,” the NBA President added.
Osigwe urged anyone that has evidence against any lawyer to forward a petition to the Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee (LPDC), which he said has the capacity to weed out the bad eggs.
Earlier in his remarks, the Chairman of the 2024 NBA AGC Planning Committee, Dr. Emeka Obegolu, SAN, said the theme of the conference is, ‘Stand Out, Stand Tall.’
This theme is a call to action, a rallying cry for us as legal professionals to rise above mediocrity, to distinguish ourselves in our respective fields, and to uphold the tenets of justice with courage, resilience, and unwavering integrity.
The phrase, ‘Stand Out’ challenges us to embrace excellence and innovation in a world increasingly defined by complexity and change.
As lawyers, it is our duty to lead with clarity, creativity, and a deep commitment to justice. Whether in the courtroom, the boardroom, or our communities, we must be the standard-bearers of professionalism and competence.
“Stand Tall inspires us to hold firm in the face of adversity, to remain steadfast in our values, and to be unapologetically bold in advocating for what is right.
“In an era, where ethical compromise often seems the path of least resistance, standing tall means being the voice of integrity, equity, and fairness in all that we do,” Obegolu, SAN, added.