President Bola Tinubu has praised the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for securing record convictions and recovering huge stolen assets to protect Nigerians.
He spoke in Abuja on Tuesday at the opening of the 8th EFCC/National Judicial Institute workshop for judges and justices, represented by Vice President Kashim Shettima.
Tinubu said the EFCC had shown courage by tackling cryptocurrency fraud and recovering virtual assets despite the changing methods used by criminals.
He revealed that the commission filed 14,476 cases and secured 10,872 convictions in the first 34 months of the current administration.
The President also said the EFCC recovered more than N1.233 trillion and millions of dollars, pounds and euros from criminal activities.
He added that the successful prosecution and deportation of 192 foreigners arrested for cybercrime and cryptocurrency fraud proved Nigeria was becoming tougher on digital crimes.
Tinubu said these recoveries have provided more funds for programmes such as NELFUND and CREDICORP, which are helping ordinary Nigerians.
He warned that financial crimes are becoming more sophisticated through artificial intelligence and blockchain technology, making continuous training for judges, investigators and prosecutors essential.
The President urged the judiciary to speed up the trial of corruption cases and prevent technical delays that weaken public confidence in justice.
He stressed that the fight against corruption is not the responsibility of the Federal Government alone but a duty for every arm of government and all stakeholders.
EFCC Chairman Ola Olukoyede said the commission now focuses on smarter investigations, stronger digital forensics and lawful asset recovery to secure lasting convictions.
Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, also urged judges to strengthen their understanding of digital evidence while protecting fair hearing, judicial independence and the rule of law.