The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) Chairman, Ola Olukoyede, has called on the judiciary to tackle the contentious issue of senior lawyers receiving substantial legal fees from political officeholders.
Speaking at the 6th annual criminal law review conference in Abuja on Monday, Olukoyede emphasized that the manner in which these fees are collected conflicts with existing statutes.
Olukoyede stressed that lawyers must be mindful of the source of funds used to pay their fees, particularly when dealing with public servants. “If a lawyer doesn’t care about the source of millions of naira paid by a sitting governor or public servant to defend them in an electoral tribunal, they should at least ensure that the payment is made through the financial system,” he said. This, he argued, would prevent violations of money laundering regulations and tax evasion.
