Nigeria Bar Association (NBA) and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) have reiterated their commitment to tackle corruption in the country.
The duo pledged, yesterday, at an anti-money laundering sensitisation workshop organised for legal practitioners, in Abuja.
With the theme, ‘Anti-money Laundering Guidelines: A Practical Approach for Legal Profession’, the workshop was aimed at fostering relationships between the two organisations in efforts to fight financial crimes and related fraud.
President of NBA, Yakubu Maikyau, charged lawyers to observe the NBA anti-money laundering guidelines: rules of professional conduct 2023 in the handling of financial and money laundering matters.
The Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) urged lawyers to take the lead in the anti-corruption fight, noting that their profession uniquely placed the responsibility on them.
Chairman of EFCC, Olanipekun Olukoyede, stated his agency’s commitment to the collaboration between lawyers and EFCC to combat financial crimes in the country.
Olukoyede, while appreciating the NBA for opening the door of collaboration, added that the commission would embark on an aggressive campaign for Nigerians to know the consequences of financial crimes and related matters.
In his paper, ‘Overview of Typology Studies (Money Laundering Typology Relating to Fraud, Corruption, Drug Trafficking, Terrorism Financing)’, Dr Emmanuel Shotande of Nigeria Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU) urged lawyers to be diligent in dealing with Politically-Exposed Persons (PEPs).
He charged the NBA to collaborate with NFIU, and when necessary, call out lawyers and chambers involved in irregular financial practice.
According to him, for effective collaboration, lawyers should be willing to engage with anti-money laundering agencies for clarification in suspicious dealing.
He emphasised that lawyers should ensure that transactions above the stipulated threshold allowed by the law should be reported to the anti-graft agency.
Babajide Ogundipe (SAN), who noted that “lawyers have special positions in the society”, said they must strive to uphold the rule of law and not facilitate criminal activities.
Ogundipe called on lawyers to always report suspicious transactions to relevant anti-graft agencies or the NBA anti-money laundering committee and not risk being accused of aiding fraud.
He urged lawyers to endeavour to know their clients well enough by asking certain basic questions and be wary of client(s) who regularly change lawyers.
Prof Ernest Ojukwu (SAN), speaking on NBA rules on anti-money laundering, also said there was a need for lawyers to formulate standard questions in the know-your-client form for proper identification of clients.
