The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has warned legal practitioners across the country to desist from charging clients in foreign currencies, describing the act as illegal and unethical.
The warning was issued on Friday, September 11, 2026, in Lagos by the Acting Zonal Director of the Lagos Zonal Directorate 2 of the EFCC, Ikoyi, ACE I Bawa Usman Kaltungo, when he received a delegation of the Nigerian Bar Association, NBA Lagos Task Force on Illegal Practice of Law, led by its Head, Moshood Abiola, on a courtesy visit.
Kaltungo expressed concern over the rising cases of professional misconduct among lawyers, disclosing that the Directorate is currently handling two cases involving lawyers who allegedly charged their clients in dollars. He stressed that the Naira remains the country’s only legal tender and that any lawyer found culpable will be prosecuted.
He said: โWe are also worried about the activities of lawyers who are involved in illegal and unethical practices. We have two cases of lawyers who were found to have charged fees in dollars. This is unethical and illegal. We usually donโt want to have issues with members of the NBA. However, some lawyers are pushing us. Any lawyer we find culpable will be prosecuted.โ
The EFCC boss also cautioned lawyers against using the name of the Commission to extort clients. He noted that while lawyers have the right to determine their professional fees, they must not misrepresent the EFCC or falsely claim that certain fees are required by the Commission, urging them to desist from all unethical practices.
Earlier in his remarks, the Head of the NBA Task Force, Moshood Abiola, commended the EFCC for its recent swift prosecution and conviction of a fake lawyer. He said the Task Force has several cases of malpractice and called for stronger collaboration with the anti-graft agency to ensure that erring lawyers face the full wrath of the law.
Other EFCC officials at the meeting also raised concerns. ACE I Orhieoghene Adewunmi of the Department of Legal and Prosecution urged the NBA to publish names of lawyers sanctioned for misconduct to alert the public, while ACE II Henry Anasoh decried instances where lawyers assist suspects to obstruct investigations, forge bail documents including fake medical records, and file fundamental rights suits to restrain the EFCC from carrying out its duties.
The interactive session ended with both agencies agreeing to strengthen collaboration to rid the legal profession of unscrupulous practitioners, with the EFCC stressing that the misconduct of a few should not be allowed to undermine the integrity of the profession.
