ICPC boss charges lawyers to uphold ethics champion anti-corruption fight

The Chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), Dr Musa Adamu Aliyu, has called on Nigerian lawyers to recommit to ethical practice and take a front-line role in the fight against corruption.

Aliyu challenged lawyers to go beyond their client briefs and embrace their role as nation-builders.

This was contained in a statement signed by the Director, Public Enlightenment and Education/ Spokesperson for the Commission, Demola Bakare, a copy made available to newsmen in Kano.

He said, “As we re-imagine the future of law, let us also reimagine the lawyer—not just as a professional, but as a patriot. Together, we can restore dignity to the practice of law and reaffirm its place in the fight against corruption and injustice.”

Aliyu made this charge while delivering a goodwill message at the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) Lagos Branch Annual Law Conference 2025 held at the MUSON Centre, Onikan, Lagos, with the theme ‘Reimagining the Practice of Law: Ethics, Innovation and the Future of Legal Services’.

He then expressed concern over the growing ethical crisis in the legal profession, citing instances of professional misconduct, delay tactics in court processes, and the misuse of legal procedures to frustrate anti-corruption efforts.

“Some legal practitioners persist in filing suits challenging the Supreme Court’s decision on the ICPC’s powers of investigation, actions he described as detrimental to the image of the legal profession.

“Lawyers are not just advocates; they are the gatekeepers of justice. Sadly, some have chosen to become facilitators in obstructing justice. The ICPC sees this and calls for a collective recommitment to integrity,” he said.

While commenting on the growing influence of legal technology, Aliyu acknowledged the role of innovation in transforming legal services, but warned against the risk of ethical lapses in the unregulated use of technology.

Aliyu, at the conference, which brought together leading voices in the legal profession to reflect on the future of law in Nigeria, emphasised the need for legal innovation of law in Nigeria to be guided by principles of fairness, confidentiality, and justice.

The ICPC chairman also urged lawyers to support whistleblowers, whom he described as “civic heroes” in the anti-corruption struggle. He advocated for stronger legal protection for whistleblowers and emphasised the role of lawyers in defending their rights.

Aliyu further called for reforms in legal education, stressing the importance of integrating ethics, digital literacy, and public interest law into the curriculum, disclosing that the ICPC was engaging with stakeholders to introduce anti-corruption modules in the Nigerian Law School and university law faculties.

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