The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission and the Nigerian Bar Association have renewed their commitment to strengthening collaboration in the fight against corruption and improving the administration of criminal justice in Nigeria.
The commitment was reiterated on October 7, 2026, when the EFCC Executive Chairman, Ola Olukoyede, represented by the Zonal Director of the Commission’s Kano Directorate, ACE I Friday S. Ebelo, received the newly elected leadership of the NBA Kano State Branch, led by its Chairman, Sani Ammani.
Olukoyede, through Ebelo, described the EFCC and the NBA as “symbiotic twins that cannot be separated”, stressing the importance of a strong relationship between law enforcement and the legal profession in ensuring that criminal justice is administered effectively and in accordance with the law.
The EFCC chairman emphasised that the Commission operates within the framework of the Constitution and the rule of law, adding that the protection of citizens’ fundamental rights remains a priority in its investigative and legal engagements.
The position reflects the Commission’s broader emphasis on due process and respect for fundamental rights in the investigation and prosecution of financial crimes. In a separate engagement with the NBA Human Rights Committee in Ilorin, an EFCC zonal director similarly stressed that the Commission’s operations are guided by the Constitution, the Administration of Criminal Justice Act and other relevant laws.
The partnership with the NBA is significant because lawyers play a central role in criminal justice, from legal representation and prosecution to ensuring compliance with due process and protection of the rights of suspects and other citizens.
The EFCC has also previously sought closer cooperation with the NBA at the national level, with NBA President Oyinkansola Badejo-Okusanya calling for greater collaboration, knowledge sharing and professional expertise between both institutions. Olukoyede, in response, reaffirmed the Commission’s commitment to working with the legal profession and conducting investigations within the confines of the law.
The latest engagement in Kano therefore reinforces the two institutions’ stated interest in building a justice system in which the fight against economic and financial crimes is pursued alongside respect for constitutional safeguards and professional legal standards.
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