Tinubu Tells Judges to Stop Powerful People From Delaying Corruption Cases

(President Bola Tinubu. Photo Credit: Arise News)

President Bola Tinubu has asked the judiciary to review how prosecutions are handled, drop outdated legal precedents and close gaps that politically exposed persons and organised crime suspects use to delay trials.

He spoke through Vice President Kashim Shettima at the 8th annual capacity-building workshop for judges, organised by the EFCC and the National Judicial Institute in Abuja on Tuesday.

He said corruption is a threat to the whole country and affects the executive, the legislature, the judiciary and ordinary citizens.

He told judges that well-connected people should not be able to use technicalities to escape the law.

"The Bench is not merely a mechanical arbiter of rules, but an active guardian of moral order and social equity," he said.

He also warned that technology, including blockchain and artificial intelligence, has made financial crimes more complex.

He praised the EFCC for recovering billions of naira from cryptocurrency fraud.

He also cited the agency's record: 14,476 cases filed and 10,872 convictions in the first 34 months of his administration, and N1.233 trillion recovered.

He said the EFCC recorded 1,370 convictions from 1,889 cases filed in the first half of 2026.

Chief Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun said digital evidence has changed how cases are built and that courts need firm case management.

Senate Committee Chairman Emmanuel Udende pledged legislation to support the fight.

Attorney-General Lateef Fagbemi, represented by Rotimi Oyedepo SAN, said no single arm of government can tackle corruption alone.

EFCC Chairman Ola Olukoyede said the agency would handle recovered money transparently.