The Chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), Prof. Bolaji Owasanoye, SAN, has challenged the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) and members of the association to play a pivotal role in the fight against corruption in the legal system.
In a related development, the former Chairman of the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC), Dr. Sam Amadi, has hailed the impact of the anti-corruption agency in addressing corruption in the country, particularly the public sector and government finances.
Both Owasanoye and Amadi spoke at a breakout session of the NBA Annual General Meeting and Conference on the subject matter, “How Corruption Fuels Insecurity and Bad Governance: The Role of Lawyers in Tackling Corrupt Practices in Nigeria” held at the Eko Atlantic, Victoria Island, Lagos.
The ICPC boss, who decried corrupt practices by members of the legal profession, advised the leadership of the NBA to act swiftly and sanction members of the profession involved in corrupt practices.
He questioned the middlemen role played by some lawyers for suspects involved in corruption, money laundering and illicit financial flows (IFFs) cases, describing it as unethical.
