President Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu has commended the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for recording over 7,000 convictions and recovering assets worth more than ₦500 billion within the first two years of his administration.
Speaking on Monday in Abuja at the opening of a joint workshop organised by the EFCC and the National Judicial Institute (NJI) for Justices and Judges, President Tinubu, represented by Vice President Kashim Shettima, urged the judiciary to remain steadfast, impartial, and incorruptible in the pursuit of justice.
The President warned that the collapse of any society begins when those entrusted with interpreting the law become compromised.
“We draw our moral distinction as a people from the judiciary, and we owe it the reverence and autonomy to remain the last sanctuary of our collective conscience,” Tinubu stated.
He said the theme of the workshop — “Enhancing Justice in the Fight Against Economic and Financial Crimes” — was timely, given the rising public frustration over delays in adjudicating high-profile corruption cases compared to the swift handling of cybercrime-related prosecutions.
“There is a certain level of consternation over decisions of courts in serious corruption matters that engender feelings that society is being left with the wrong end of the stick,” the President noted.
Highlighting progress in his administration’s anti-corruption campaign, Tinubu disclosed that proceeds recovered by the EFCC are being channelled into social investment programmes such as the Students Loan Scheme and the Consumer Credit Initiative.
Also speaking at the event, Senate President Godswill Akpabio, represented by the Senate Chief Whip, Mohammed Monguno, described corruption as an “enemy of the state,” emphasizing that the fight against it requires collaboration among the legislature, judiciary, and the public.
The Chairman of the Senate Committee on Anti-Corruption and Financial Crimes, Senator Emmanuel Memga Udende, praised the EFCC for its “positive exploits” in tackling corruption, assuring that the National Assembly would continue to provide legislative support to strengthen anti-corruption institutions.
In his remarks, EFCC Chairman Ola Olukoyede, SAN, said the recent Supreme Court ruling reaffirming the Commission’s constitutional powers has further emboldened its efforts to combat financial crimes across Nigeria.
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