*As Olanipekun, Olukoyede Seek Cybercrime, Digital Evidence Reforms
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Former Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Chief Kanu Agabi, SAN, has urged security and anti-graft agencies to intensify efforts toward ensuring that looted public funds kept abroad are repatriated to Nigeria.
Agabi said Nigeria must also encourage persons holding funds outside the country to return them, warning that failure to recover stolen wealth would amount to a generational failure.
He spoke in Abuja on Thursday at the public presentation of two books authored by retired judge of the Kogi State High Court and legal scholar, Professor Alaba Omolaye-Ajileye.
The books, Electronic Evidence (Second Edition, with the Evidence Act, 2011) and A Compendium of Cases on Electronic Evidence (Volume II, 2020–2025), were unveiled alongside the launch of the Justice Alaba Omolaye-Ajileye Educational Foundation for indigent students.
The event was chaired by former Chairman of the Body of Benchers, Chief Wole Olanipekun, SAN, and attended by Justices of the Supreme Court, Court of Appeal, Federal High Court, FCT High Court, senior lawyers, family members, associates and other stakeholders in the justice sector.
Agabi, who praised Justice Omolaye-Ajileye for his integrity, scholarship and dedication to duty, said the retired judge had lived a life worthy of emulation in and outside public office.
“He is a man whose conduct, both in public and in private, has never brought him under suspicion, even at a time when the nation is rife with suspicion,” Agabi said.
He described the author as a model of honesty, adding that his life demonstrated that public office could be held without yielding to corruption or compromise.
Speaking on the fight against corruption, Agabi urged agencies such as the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission and the Department of State Services to focus more attention on recovering stolen public funds held outside the country.
According to him, a large portion of Nigeria’s wealth is stashed abroad, and the country must take deliberate steps to bring such funds back for national development.
“We must repatriate our looted funds or we have failed as a generation,” he said.
The former justice minister said asset recovery was crucial to rebuilding public confidence, strengthening accountability and securing the country’s future.
Agabi also called on judicial officers to collectively defend the image of the judiciary against growing public misconceptions.
He said the judiciary must respond as an institution to the challenges confronting it, rather than leaving individual judges to bear the burden of public criticism alone.
He further questioned the practice of retiring experienced judges when they were still capable of contributing to national development, suggesting that retired jurists could continue to serve the country in legislative, advisory and reform-related capacities.
Agabi also urged lawyers to embrace continuous learning, stressing that knowledge remains the greatest asset in legal practice.
In his remarks, Olanipekun expressed concern over the abuse of freedom of expression in cyberspace and called for measures to strengthen the effectiveness of the Cybercrimes Act.
He said it was troubling that some people could use phones and social media platforms to insult, defame or attack others without being held accountable.
Olanipekun urged lawyers, academics and policymakers to support reforms that would equip the justice system to respond effectively to emerging challenges in the digital space.
He also called for stronger cooperation among stakeholders in the justice sector, noting that collaboration remained essential to strengthening the administration of justice.
Describing Justice Omolaye-Ajileye as one of his mentees, Olanipekun said the event was one of his “favourite days” and commended the author for his contribution to legal scholarship, particularly in the development of electronic evidence jurisprudence in Nigeria.
Also speaking, the Chairman of the EFCC, Ola Olukoyede, described financial crimes, especially cybercrime involving “Yahoo boys,” as one of Nigeria’s major threats.
He said cybercrime fuels insecurity, terrorism and economic hardship, adding that the impact of internet fraudsters could be as harmful as that of treasury looters.
Olukoyede said the EFCC had continued to prosecute financial crimes, including cases involving high-profile suspects and foreign nationals allegedly connected to laundering proceeds of crime.
He disclosed that the commission had started deploying artificial intelligence to strengthen investigations and called on lawmakers, lawyers and legal scholars to examine emerging legal issues around artificial intelligence and digital evidence.
He also urged stronger collaboration among law enforcement agencies, the judiciary and citizens in the fight against corruption and cybercrime.
In his remarks, Justice Omolaye-Ajileye said he was motivated to write the books to promote deeper knowledge of electronic evidence and strengthen legal understanding in an increasingly digital world.
He also expressed concern over what he described as perceived inconsistencies in amendments to the Electoral Act.
The retired judge said the educational foundation was inspired by his personal experience and his desire to continue supporting indigent students.
Speakers at the event praised him for his honesty, diligence, intellectual contribution and commitment to duty, describing the books and foundation as lasting contributions to legal education and society.
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