…Over 100 senior lawyers prosecuted for financial fraud – EFCC Chair says
The Body of Benchers has slammed 17 lawyers with various term of suspension for professional misconduct ranging from two to five years.
This was disclosed at the annual lecture and presentation of the 2025 Report of Disciplinary Committee of the Body of Benchers in Abuja.
The event which was the second annual lecture of the Body of Benchers had in attendance, the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, the President of the Nigeria Bar Association, Afam Osigwe, SAN, and several other Senior Advocates of Nigeria.
The conference, which featured the presentation of the yearly report of the Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee, marks an opportunity for retrospect and to chart a new path to sustaining ethics and enhancing professionalism, just as conversations around discipline and mentorship for young lawyers were prioritised.
This was as the Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ola Olukoyede, who is also a lawyer, expressed serious concerns over rising cases of lawyers involved in financial fraud.
Olukoyede said over 100 senior lawyers were currently being prosecuted by the commission over matters relating to financial fraud.
One of the highlights of the conference was the presentation of the 2025 Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee’s report, where 17 lawyers were penalised for various offences.
The Body of Benchers is the regulatory body for the legal profession in Nigeria.
The second annual lecture ended, the message with emphasis on discipline, ethics, and professionalism.
