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How EFCC Boosts Lawyers’ Skills For More Effective Prosecution
How EFCC Boosts Lawyers’ Skills For More Effective Prosecution
As part of efforts to strengthen Nigeria’s fight against corruption, the Executive Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Ola Olukoyede, has called on the Commission’s legal officers to demonstrate greater diligence, precision, and professionalism in preparing charges and court processes.
Olukoyede made the call in Lagos on Tuesday, April 14, 2026, at the opening of a three-day intensive training programme for EFCC legal officers held at the Lagos Zonal Directorate 2 Conference Hall, Okotie Eboh.
The training, titled “Training Programme for Legal Officers on Preparation and Dealing with Appeals in Financial Crimes & Allied Matters, Evidence Gathering and Trial Preparation for Young Lawyers,” focuses on strengthening expertise in key prosecution areas, including charge drafting, appeals management, evidence gathering, and trial preparation.
In his opening remarks, the EFCC chairman, who was represented by the Director of Legal and Prosecution, Sylvanus Tahir, SAN, said the training was designed to promote knowledge sharing and capacity building among legal officers.
According to him, the initiative reinforces the Commission’s sustained commitment to professional development as a key driver of institutional effectiveness in combating economic and financial crimes nationwide.
“This training is a strategic initiative designed to ensure that our officers handle cases with the highest level of competence and professionalism,” he said.
Earlier, the Acting Zonal Director, Lagos Zonal Directorate 2, Okotie Eboh, Ikoyi, Assistant Commander of the EFCC, ACE1 Bawa Usman Kaltungo, declared the programme open and emphasized the need for continuous training and retraining of the Commission’s lawyers in response to emerging trends in criminal prosecution.
“When I received the memo and looked at the title, I said this is very apt. Our Executive Chairman is a trainer, and I am not surprised he agreed to this training. We need to constantly improve our skills. There is always a need for training and retraining”, he said.
Participants drawn from the Port Harcourt, Uyo, Benin, Ibadan, and Lagos Zonal Directorates 1 and 2 are expected to apply the knowledge gained to improve prosecution quality, reduce procedural errors, and enhance justice delivery in financial crime cases.
The training features paper presentations on topics including: Concept and Purpose of Appeals in Economic and Financial Crimes and Allied Matters; Drafting Competent and Effective Grounds of Appeal in EFCC Cases; Handling Evidence Issues in Appeals; Effective Drafting of Appellants’ and Respondents’ Briefs; Digital Evidence and Cybercrime Appeals; Strategies for Building Strong Appeals; Oral Advocacy Skills; Interlocutory Appeals; Compilation and Transmission of Records of Appeal; and Appeals in Asset Forfeiture and Recovery.

EFCC
Other sessions include: Admissibility of Evidence Under the Evidence Act 2011; Relevance as the Foundation of Admissible Evidence; Documentary Evidence and the Admissibility of Public and Private Documents; Electronic and Digital Evidence in EFCC Cases; Trial and Evidence Gathering in Financial Crime Prosecutions; Burden and Standard of Proof in Civil and Criminal Cases; Expert Evidence; Hearsay Evidence and Its Exceptions; and Confessional Statements: Admissibility and Weight in Nigerian Courts.
The training is expected to wind up on Thursday, April 16, 2026.
News
Anthony Joshua Dedicates Comeback Victory To Friends Killed In Ogun Crash
Anthony Joshua Dedicates Comeback Victory To Friends Killed In Ogun Crash
Nigerian-British heavyweight boxer, Anthony Joshua, has dedicated his victory over Kristian Prenga to his late friends and trainers, Sina Ghami and Latif “Latz” Ayodele, after overcoming two knockdowns to secure a second-round knockout win.
Eereporter.com
The bout, watched online, marked Joshua’s first fight since a car crash in Ogun State, Nigeria, in December claimed the lives of Ghami, his strength and conditioning coach, and Ayodele, his personal trainer.
Joshua entered the ring wearing camouflage attire bearing the names of the deceased coaches in their honour.
Speaking after the fight, the former world heavyweight champion described the victory as a tribute to their memory.
“It’s what champions do. We rise, we get knocked down and we stand up and keep going. That’s life.
“It was more than punch power. That was spirit, that was Latz, that was Sina and their families. It still hurts to talk about it. It’s been tough,” he said.
Joshua, who started the contest as the overwhelming favourite, suffered a dramatic opening round after Prenga knocked him down twice within the first three minutes.
However, the British boxer recovered to dominate the contest, eventually stopping the Albanian in the second round to remain on course for a highly anticipated showdown with fellow Briton Tyson Fury.
Joshua’s promoter, Eddie Hearn, praised the former champion’s resilience, describing his performance as remarkable given the personal tragedy he had endured.
“To even step into the ring was astonishing,” Hearn said.
He added that Joshua had used his training camp to remain focused while coping with grief, noting that the fighter had shown exceptional determination after being knocked down twice.
Hearn also confirmed that contracts had been been signed for the long-awaited heavyweight clash between Joshua and Fury, although the date and venue have yet to be announced.

Anthony Joshua
Fury, who defeated 46-year-old Mariusz Wach in Thailand on Friday, did not attend Joshua’s fight as he returned to the Isle of Man after his bout.
“I respect everything he has achieved, but this is the fight we’ve been calling for and now we’re here.
“I hope the fans will enjoy it.
“I’ve learned that I can’t be stopped, I won’t be denied, and we’re coming.” Joshua added.
Eereporter.com
News
Babachir Lawal: Obi-Kwankwaso Ticket Has 70% Chance Of Winning In 2027 election
Babachir Lawal: Obi-Kwankwaso Ticket Has 70% Chance Of Winning In 2027 election
Former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Babachir Lawal, has said a joint presidential ticket of Peter Obi and Rabiu Kwankwaso has a stronger chance of winning the 2027 presidential election than if both politicians had chosen to contest separately.
Eereporter.com
Lawal made the remarks during an interview with Symfoni TV released on Saturday.
According to him, an Obi-Kwankwaso ticket would stand a 70 per cent chance of victory, while he predicted that President Bola Tinubu would have a 50 per cent chance and former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar would lose.
“Peter Obi will try to be fair to everybody. Peter Obi will try to do that which is right. Peter Obi, Kwankwaso, take note, I’m pairing them. I’m pairing them. Individually will be disaster, but I’m pairing them.
“So I’ll give them, on my own scale, close to like 70 per cent. Again, Bola, 50. Atiku, zero,” Lawal said.
“Definitely, Atiku will lose. He will, and I pray he loses. I’m not the only one, and he will lose,” he said.
Lawal’s comments come after his fallout with Atiku following his resignation from the African Democratic Congress.

Obi, Kwankwaso
The former SGF has repeatedly alleged that the ADC presidential primary that produced Atiku as the party’s candidate was marred by widespread irregularities, claims the party has not officially accepted.
Eereporter.com
News
ICPC: Responsible Data Handling Is Inseparable From Our Anti-Corruption Mandate
ICPC: Responsible Data Handling Is Inseparable From Our Anti-Corruption Mandate
The Chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), Dr. Musa Adamu Aliyu, SAN, has affirmed that responsible data handling is inseparable from the Commission’s anti-corruption mandate, stressing that public trust depends not only on the Commission’s ability to investigate and prosecute corruption-related offences, but also on its capacity to protect personal information entrusted to it.
The Chairman made this known while declaring open a One-Day Sensitization and Awareness Programme on Data Protection and Privacy for officers and staff of the Commission held at the ICPC Headquarters, Abuja.
The programme, themed “Responsible Data Handling: Strengthening Accountability and Preserving Public Trust through Data Protection,” was organised to deepen awareness of responsible data management and strengthen a culture of accountability across the Commission.
Dr. Aliyu, represented by the Director, Legal Services Department, Mr. Henry Emore, noted that the Commission receives, processes, analyses, stores, shares and retains enormous volumes of information in the discharge of its statutory responsibilities, much of which relates to petitioners, suspects, witnesses, complainants, employees, contractors, consultants and members of the public.
According to him, every personal record in the Commission’s custody represents an individual’s dignity, privacy and trust, making it imperative for officers to ensure that such information is handled lawfully, responsibly and securely.
He explained that while data has become one of the most valuable assets in modern governance, enhancing decision-making, service delivery and investigations, its mishandling could expose individuals to harm, compromise investigations, undermine public confidence and damage institutional reputation.
The ICPC Chairman further stated that data protection is no longer the exclusive responsibility of ICT professionals or legal practitioners but has become an essential element of good governance, transparency, accountability and institutional integrity.
Emphasising that responsible data handling is integral to the Commission’s anti-corruption mandate, Dr. Aliyu urged officers to demonstrate integrity in the collection, access, use, disclosure, storage and disposal of personal information, noting that the principles of accountability, fairness, confidentiality and respect for individual rights must guide every aspect of the Commission’s operations.
He disclosed that the Commission has continued to strengthen its internal data protection governance framework through the establishment of the Data Protection and Incident Response Team (DPIRT), comprising officers drawn from various departments and units to identify compliance gaps, promote awareness, improve internal processes, strengthen incident response mechanisms and embed privacy considerations into operational activities.
Earlier in his welcome address, the Commission’s Data Protection Officer, Barr. David Nwaze, described the sensitization programme as a strategic initiative designed to reinforce the understanding that data protection is not merely a legal obligation but a professional responsibility and a shared institutional value.
Barr. Nwaze expressed appreciation to the Chairman and the Management of the Commission for their unwavering support towards advancing ICPC’s data protection compliance journey.

ICPC
He urged participants to actively engage in the programme, ask questions, share experiences, and apply the knowledge gained in their daily responsibilities, stressing that protecting personal data is fundamental to safeguarding institutional integrity, preserving public confidence, and strengthening accountability within the Commission.
The event featured two paper presentations titled “Responsible Data Handling: Strengthening Accountability and Preserving Public Trust through Data Protection,” delivered by Mr. Inelegwu Egahi, and “The ICPC–NDPC Collaboration: Leveraging ICPC’s Institutional Mandate to Strengthen Data Protection Compliance in the Public Sector,” presented by a Nigeria Data Protection Commission official, Barr. Babatunde Bamigboye.
Eereporter.com
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