The chairmen of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) have raised fresh concerns over persistent delays in the prosecution of high-profile corruption cases in Nigerian courts.
EFCC Chairman Ola Olukoyede and his ICPC counterpart Musa Aliyu (SAN) made the observations during presentations at the ninth meeting of the Corruption and Financial Crimes Cases Trial Monitoring Committee (COTRIMCO) in Abuja.
The committee, established by the National Judicial Council (NJC), is tasked with monitoring the progress of corruption and financial crimes cases across the country.
According to a statement issued by the NJC’s spokesperson, Kemi Babalola-Ogedengbe, Olukoyede appeared before the committee on March 3, where he expressed concern about the liberal exercise of judicial discretion in some sensitive cases.
The EFCC chairman argued that the continued consideration of frivolous legal applications by some courts has significantly prolonged corruption trials.
He warned that such delays undermine efforts to ensure swift and effective justice in cases involving financial crimes.
Olukoyede suggested that establishing clear benchmarks for acceptable judicial conduct would help curb unnecessary delays in corruption trials.
He also stressed the need for sanctions against actions or misconduct that frustrate the course of justice.
During his presentation at the committee’s meeting on Wednesday, ICPC Chairman Musa Aliyu proposed the introduction of a practice direction to guide courts on the handling of corruption cases nationwide.
Aliyu recommended that corruption cases should be time-bound, similar to election petition tribunals, to ensure faster resolution.
He cited Kenya and Zambia as examples where structured practice directions have helped improve the efficiency of corruption trials.
According to him, adopting such timelines would significantly accelerate the prosecution of corruption-related offences.
Aliyu also urged the committee to design mechanisms that would strengthen standards in criminal prosecution and promote consistency in the application of judicial principles across courts.
Despite the challenges, both anti-graft chiefs acknowledged that progress has been made in prosecuting corruption cases nationwide.
Chairman of COTRIMCO and retired Supreme Court Justice Suleiman Galadima commended the growing collaboration between the judiciary and anti-corruption agencies.
He noted that the partnership between the NJC and anti-graft bodies has continued to produce encouraging results.
According to him, the EFCC recorded 1,417 convictions in the first and second quarters of 2025, while the ICPC filed 43 new cases and secured nine convictions during the same period.
Justice Galadima explained that the relatively lower number of ICPC prosecutions reflects the commission’s increasing emphasis on preventive and proactive anti-corruption strategies aimed at stopping corrupt practices before they escalate into criminal offences.
He reaffirmed the NJC’s commitment to strengthening institutional collaboration in the fight against corruption.
Stakeholders at the meeting also reiterated their resolve to improve efficiency, accountability and integrity in the prosecution of corruption and financial crimes cases across Nigeria.
