Tinubu urges judges to close gaps in financial crime trials

President Bola Tinubu urged Nigerian judges to review outdated precedents, close procedural gaps and improve case management, saying legal delays can hinder trials involving influential suspects and organised criminal networks. He called for a broad strengthening of the criminal justice system to address financial crime, including offenses involving digital technology. Tinubu’s remarks were delivered by Vice President Kashim Shettima at the eighth annual Economic and Financial Crimes Commission and National Judicial Institute workshop for judges and justices in Abuja on October 13. The event focused on investigating and prosecuting economic and financial crimes in a digital age. The Office of the Vice President said the president’s comments were conveyed in a statement by Senior Special Assistant Stanley Nkwocha. Tinubu argued that combating corruption required an independent and reform-minded judiciary, alongside action by the executive. He urged judicial officers to examine prosecution strategies and ensure that procedural rules did not become a means of delaying trials.