The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Lagos Branch, has initiated a high-level partnership with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to root out unethical practices within both the legal profession and security agencies.
Securitynewsalert.com heard that the collaboration was formalised on Monday, February 23, 2026, during a courtesy visit by the NBA Lagos Anti-Corruption Committee to the EFCC’s Lagos Zonal Directorates.
The legal delegation met with Assistant Commanders of the EFCC (ACE I), Adebayo Adeniyi and Usman Bawa Kaltungo, to establish a framework for mutual accountability.
Udochi Iheanacho, SAN, Chairman of the NBA Anti-Corruption Committee, revealed that the initiative is part of a nationwide directive. Every NBA branch in the country has been mandated to form these committees to combat the “erosion of public trust.”
“We want to tackle corruption in various ways,” Iheanacho stated. “There is corruption within our fold and among some of our colleagues. We also encounter it among agencies we work with, including the EFCC and the Police.”
Acknowledging that the NBA lacks enforcement powers, she emphasised the necessity of a direct pipeline to the Commission:
“When we identify issues that fall within your jurisdiction, we should be able to refer them appropriately for necessary action. We require the backing of agencies with enforcement powers.”
The NBA noted that corruption in Nigeria has become so deeply embedded that it is often mistaken for culture. Iheanacho argued that the fight cannot be won through arrests alone.
“When something becomes normalized and cultural, and the lines become blurred, the task goes beyond merely catching people in the act,” she explained. “It requires sustained education and reorientation.”
Uchenna Ogunedo-Akingbade, Chairman of the NBA Lagos Branch, echoed this sentiment, noting that the branch’s Human Rights and Security Agencies’ Relations committees would join the fray to sensitise the public and professionals alike.
The EFCC leadership welcomed the outreach, describing the NBA as a “strategic partner.” Zonal Directors Adeniyi and Kaltungo reassured the lawyers that the Commission is committed to professional standards and the protection of rights.
“Our doors are always open. We are public servants, not public masters,” the directors stated in a joint response. “We maintain a cordial working relationship with lawyers and continually remind our officers of the importance of respecting lawyers and suspects alike.”
Addressing the occasional tension between investigators and defence counsel, the EFCC leadership noted:
“Even within families, disagreements occur. What matters most is how such issues are managed. If there are concerns requiring our intervention, feel free to knock on our doors.”
The meeting concluded with a candid plea from the EFCC’s Head of Legal (Lagos Zonal Directorate 2), DCE Deborah Adamu-Eteh.
She urged the NBA leadership to be more aggressive in policing its own members, noting that the unprofessional conduct of a few lawyers continues to tarnish the reputation of the entire legal body. #https://securitynewsalert.com/
