The Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun has assured the agencies saddled with the responsibility of tackling corruption in the country of the continuous support of the Judiciary in the fight against corruption in Nigeria. The agencies are the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission (ICPC) and the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU)
she stated this at a two-day capacity building workshop organised by the EFCC and the National Judicial Institute (NJI) for Justices and judges in Nigeria aimed at fostering collaboration between the Judiciary and the anti-graft agency towards enhancing the dispensation of justice in Nigeria. According to her, the Judiciary plays a vital role in the fight against corruption and this requires a strong synergy among them to succeed more. However, the CJN called for efficient investigation by the anti-graft agencies to avoid clogging the wheel of justice in court. On his part, the Senate President, Senator Godswill Akpabio represented by the Deputy Senate President, Senator Barau Jibrin emphasised the need for a centralized data system that can be syndicated among anti-graft agencies.
He also urged that constant training be organised for investigating officers.
While speaking earlier, the Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Olanipekun Olukoyede, said that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) is unable to carry out investigations in 10 states in Nigeria, as a result of court orders restraining it.
Although Olukoyede did not disclose the states involved, he, however, lamented that the EFCC’s activities have continued to be impeded by court orders restraining it from carrying out its investigation. According to him, among the plethora of issues bothering the EFCC are the frequent adjournment of high-profile cases by courts, contempt orders and undue reliance on technical grounds.
