EFCC boss calls on lawyers to prioritise nation-building and societal growth, urging ethical legal practice and mentorship revival in the legal profession

The Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Ola Olukoyede, has called on Nigerian lawyers to embrace their critical role in nation-building.

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Speaking during the 2025 Law Week of the Nigerian Bar Association, Ikeja Branch, Olukoyede emphasised that law forms the foundation of every stable society. Where law is absent, he warned, disorder takes hold.

Represented by the EFCC’s Director of Legal and Prosecution, Sylvanus Tahir (SAN), the anti-graft chief said Nigeria’s legal profession has lost much of its influence in shaping national direction, despite a large number of qualified practitioners.

“Leadership is about influencing people. Lawyers have the duty to interpret the law in a manner that promotes societal advancement. Sadly, we seem to have lost that direction,” Olukoyede stated.

He urged the NBA to revive structured mentorship for young lawyers, stressing that previous generations of legal professionals helped shape national progress through discipline and public-mindedness.

“Are we still showing young lawyers the path to follow? What have we done to guide them?” he asked.

Law Week Committee Chairman, Chukwudi Enebili (SAN), also lamented the erosion of ethics and values in the legal profession, accusing many of prioritising client interests over national duty.

“We are witnessing a decline in mentorship, ethics, and social responsibility,” Enebili said. “A generation of lawyers is growing increasingly disconnected from the tradition of service and scholarship that once defined our calling.”

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He warned that the legal profession faces serious threats both internally and externally and called for urgent reforms to restore its role as the conscience of the state.