EFCC Crackdown: 100 Senior Lawyers Face Prosecution for Financial Crimes as Body of Benchers Demands Ethical Rebirth

EFCC Chairman Ola Olukoyede reveals 100 senior lawyers are being prosecuted for money laundering and fraud as the Body of Benchers calls for reform.

By: AXL Media

Published: Mar 6, 2026, 8:04 AM EST

Source: The information in this article was sourced from Business Hallmark

A Crisis of Integrity at the Bar

The Nigerian legal profession is facing a profound internal crisis as the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) ramps up its efforts to cleanse the judiciary of corrupt elements. Speaking at the Body of Benchers' annual lecture in Abuja on Thursday, EFCC Chairman Ola Olukoyede delivered a sobering statistic: approximately 100 senior lawyers are currently undergoing prosecution by the agency. These cases primarily involve allegations of money laundering, the facilitation of illicit financial flows, and the direct diversion of funds belonging to their clients.

Systemic Facilitation of Financial Crimes

Olukoyede, who is a lawyer himself, expressed deep concern over the "database of petitions" currently held by the EFCC against members of the legal profession. He noted that the agency’s investigations have exposed a trend where legal expertise is increasingly being leveraged to shield criminal assets rather than uphold the rule of law. "It has become very necessary for us to work together," Olukoyede urged, calling for a collaborative framework between the anti-graft agency and legal regulatory bodies to restore the sanctity of the profession.

Sanctions and Disciplinary Actions

The lecture served as a platform for the presentation of the Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee (LPDC) 2025 report. Chairman Onyechi Ikpeazu (SAN) confirmed that the committee has not been idle in the face of rising misconduct. According to the report, 17 practitioners were punished in the last cycle: