Tinubu Hails EFCC Over Record Convictions, Asset Recovery

President Bola Tinubu has praised the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for its achievements in prosecuting financial crimes, securing convictions and recovering stolen assets.

Naija News reports that Tinubu made the remarks on Tuesday, October 13, 2026, at the opening of the eighth EFCC and National Judicial Institute (NJI) Workshop for Judges and Justices in Abuja.

The event focused on the investigation and prosecution of economic and financial crimes in the digital age.

The President, who was represented by Vice President Kashim Shettima, commended the commission for its efforts to tackle cryptocurrency fraud and recover virtual assets.

He said the EFCC had continued to adapt its operations to address criminal activities driven by emerging technologies.

Tinubu also urged anti-corruption agencies and the judiciary to strengthen their collaboration to ensure that offenders are brought to justice and recovered assets are properly managed.

Figures presented at the event showed that the EFCC filed 14,476 cases in court and secured 10,872 convictions within the first 34 months of the current administration. This represents a conviction rate of about 75.1 per cent when compared with the number of cases filed.

The commission also recorded 1,370 convictions from 1,889 cases filed in the first half of 2026.

During the period under review, the EFCC recovered ₦1.233 trillion, $684,478,457.32, £373,905.78 and €9,343,803.66 in financial assets.

Tinubu further pointed to the prosecution and subsequent deportation of 192 foreign nationals arrested over cyberterrorism and cryptocurrency fraud as evidence of the agency’s efforts to tackle technology-related offences.

He noted that the growing use of blockchain technology and artificial intelligence had made financial crimes more complex, requiring investigators, prosecutors and judicial officers to regularly update their knowledge and skills.

The President said government institutions must continue to improve their investigative and prosecutorial methods to keep pace with criminals who exploit technological developments to conceal illegal activities.

He also pledged the Federal Government’s continued support for judicial training and capacity development, stressing that an independent and progressive judiciary remained essential to the fight against corruption.

Tinubu urged judges to improve their ability to handle complicated financial crime cases while maintaining their independence in the discharge of their duties.

He expressed concern that corruption cases could be weakened when prosecutions failed because of procedural errors and other avoidable shortcomings. He called on the EFCC and the judiciary to address such problems and close loopholes that allow suspects to frustrate criminal proceedings.

The President maintained that the fight against corruption should not be treated as the responsibility of the executive arm alone, but as a duty shared by all arms of government.

He also acknowledged the contribution of the EFCC’s asset recovery activities to government programmes, including the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) and the Nigerian Consumer Credit Corporation (CREDICORP).

Speaking at the event, EFCC Chairman Ola Olukoyede said the commission had introduced operational reforms aimed at improving the quality of investigations, increasing asset recoveries and securing more convictions.

He explained that the agency was strengthening intelligence-led investigations, forensic operations and cooperation with local and international partners.

The commission was also improving its understanding of emerging financial technologies to ensure that its officers could effectively investigate crimes involving digital platforms and virtual assets.

Olukoyede said the EFCC was working towards building stronger cases rather than simply increasing the number of people investigated or prosecuted. He noted that investigations must be properly conducted, evidence must meet legal standards, and recovered assets must be handled lawfully and transparently.

The EFCC chairman also identified procedural delays and institutional challenges as major obstacles to the effective prosecution of financial crimes.

According to him, repeated adjournments and frequent changes of legal representatives could prolong trials, weaken evidence and make witnesses difficult to trace. He warned that lengthy proceedings could also damage public confidence in the justice system.

Olukoyede urged judges to approach corruption cases with integrity, courage and a firm commitment to the rule of law. He called for faster and more effective determination of cases without compromising the legal standards required for fair trials.

He also challenged judicial officers to consider the long-term effects of their decisions on accountability and the fight against financial crimes.

The EFCC chairman said the ultimate goal was to build a justice system in which investigators understood the evidence required by the courts, prosecutors anticipated legal challenges, forensic experts could clearly explain digital evidence, and judges had a better understanding of modern financial crimes.

Chief Justice of Nigeria Kudirat Kekere-Ekun also called for stronger judicial capacity to address financial crimes committed through digital platforms.

She noted that cryptocurrency transactions, encrypted communications, electronic records and international financial dealings had introduced new challenges into criminal proceedings.

According to her, judges must understand how digital evidence is obtained, preserved, authenticated and assessed before it can be relied upon in court.

Kekere-Ekun stressed that the seriousness of an allegation must not determine the outcome of a trial, insisting that prosecutors must prove their cases with credible evidence that meets the requirements of the law.

She also urged judges to apply the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, 2015, effectively to prevent unnecessary delays while protecting the rights of all parties.

The Chief Justice said continued judicial training had improved the ability of judges to handle financial crime cases. She also referred to Nigeria’s removal from the Financial Action Task Force’s Grey List on October 24, 2025, as an achievement that required sustained cooperation among relevant institutions.

However, she cautioned that cooperation between the judiciary and anti-corruption agencies must not interfere with the constitutional independence of the courts. She said institutional coordination should never be used to influence judicial decisions.

Chairman of the Senate Committee on Anti-Corruption, Senator Emmanuel Udende, identified prolonged trials as one of the major challenges affecting Nigeria’s efforts to combat financial crimes.

He explained that investigations and prosecutions could lose their intended impact when cases remained in court for years. Such delays, he said, could weaken deterrence, reduce public confidence, consume judicial resources and make the recovery of public funds more difficult.

Udende urged judges to improve case management, reduce unnecessary adjournments and ensure that proceedings were concluded within a reasonable period.

He, however, maintained that the need for faster trials must not override the right of defendants to fair hearings and due process.

The senator also called for closer cooperation among investigators, prosecutors, defence lawyers and judges to address the difficulties associated with digital evidence and increasingly sophisticated financial crimes.

He urged the EFCC and the NJI to continue working together to develop practical measures for reducing delays, improving the handling of electronic evidence and strengthening coordination across the criminal justice system.

Similarly, Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Financial Crimes, Ginger Obinna Onwusibe, called for urgent reforms to address weaknesses in evidence management, delays in court proceedings and gaps in existing laws.

Onwusibe pledged the National Assembly’s support for the EFCC through improved funding for forensic laboratories, digital investigation equipment and specialised training for personnel.

He also promised legislative efforts to improve the admissibility of digital evidence, provide clearer rules for managing virtual assets and strengthen the legal framework for tackling cybercrime and money laundering.

The lawmaker called for better welfare and protection of judicial independence, noting that the courts needed adequate resources to deliver justice effectively.

He said the EFCC could arrest suspects and lawmakers could enact legislation, but the responsibility for determining guilt and convicting offenders rested with the judiciary.

He therefore urged judges to ensure that the justice system could respond effectively to crimes committed through modern technology.

Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, stressed the importance of thorough investigations and proper management of digital evidence in securing successful prosecutions.

He said electronic evidence must be obtained legally, preserved carefully, authenticated reliably and connected to the specific offences alleged against defendants.

Fagbemi warned against measuring prosecutorial success only by the number of arrests made or charges filed. He said the quality of investigations, fairness of proceedings and durability of court decisions were equally important.

The Attorney-General described prosecutors as ministers of justice, explaining that their responsibility was to pursue justice through lawful means rather than seek convictions at all costs.

He urged investigators, prosecutors, defence counsel and judges to perform their duties professionally and ensure that efforts to speed up trials did not undermine fair hearing.

Fagbemi also stressed the need for effective recovery and management of proceeds of crime, noting that the Proceeds of Crime (Recovery and Management) Act, 2022, provides a legal framework for tracing, preserving, recovering and managing assets linked to criminal activities.

He said asset recovery must be based on credible evidence and proper judicial procedures, with due regard for the rights of people affected by such actions.

The minister further called for improvements in forensic investigations, information sharing and international cooperation, particularly as financial crimes increasingly cross national borders.

He urged relevant institutions to put aside rivalry and work towards a common goal of tackling corruption while protecting innocent persons and upholding the rule of law.

The opening ceremony attracted judges, lawyers, anti-corruption experts and other stakeholders involved in Nigeria’s justice system.

The three-day EFCC and NJI workshop is scheduled to end on Thursday, October 15, 2026.