Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ibrahim Magu, on Tuesday, read the riot act to lawyers in the fight against corruption.
He told them to be careful of the antics of some of their clients, warning that any lawyer found to be laundering money for corrupt Nigerians would face the law.
“EFCC will not hesitate to prosecute any legal practitioner that is found wanting in terms of acting as an accomplice to help their clients launder or benefit from the proceeds of the alleged crime”, Magu said during a one-day workshop organised by the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) in conjunction with the Presidential Advisory Committee Against Corruption (PACAC) in Abuja.
The theme of the event was ‘Anti-Corruption, Ethics of Legal Profession and Justice Sector’.
The EFCC boss advised defence counsel in the on-going corruption cases across the country to shy away from acts that would truncate the smooth adjudication of the various suits.
Also, PACAC Chairman, Prof. Itse Sagay (SAN), warned lawyers to stop colluding with individuals who have allegedly stolen public resources put in their care.
According to him, lawyers are duty bound as social engineers to promote the social well-being of society “which has been stunted by monumental corruption by a few privileged public office holders in Nigeria”.
Sagay decried the attitude of defence lawyers who constitute themselves as clog in the wheel of judicial process.
He reminded lawyers of their huge responsibility in promoting law and order.
“The legal profession, as we all know, cuts across all sectors of society. Every aspect of existence has a law, the fact that our profession cuts across every facet of human activity means that we have a very huge responsibility thrust on us. Therefore, we have an obligation to discharge this responsibility with honesty, integrity and trust to the society with the law; because if we do not perform our roles as social engineers effectively, society will suffer, society will descend into chaos, poverty and wretchedness.”
