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CCT seeks sweeping overhaul of Nigeria’s anti-corruption justice system by asking the National Assembly to approve an Executive Bill transforming the tribunal into a full-fledged National Anti-Corruption Court with expanded nationwide jurisdiction.
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The proposed court will have seven judicial divisions and 37 judges dedicated exclusively to corruption cases, with powers to hear prosecutions from the EFCC, ICPC, Code of Conduct Bureau, NHRC and other anti-graft institutions.
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Corruption cases could be concluded within six weeks as the tribunal proposes a summary trial system designed to eliminate years of delays that have slowed Nigeria’s anti-corruption prosecutions.
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CCT says funding shortages and limited case referrals are crippling its operations, despite recent reforms that include recovering illegally sold government properties, restructuring departments and improving staff welfare.
September 08, (THEWILL) — The Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT) has unveiled an ambitious plan to fundamentally reshape Nigeria’s anti-corruption justice system, seeking National Assembly approval to transform the tribunal into a full-fledged National Anti-Corruption Court.
THEWILL reports that the proposal seeks to replace the existing tribunal with a specialised court that will exclusively handle corruption and related offences through a fast-track judicial process.
The proposal, if approved, would mark one of the most far-reaching judicial reforms in Nigeria’s anti-graft campaign, creating a specialised court with 37 judges spread across seven judicial divisions to handle corruption-related cases exclusively.
The Acting Director of Litigation at the CCT, Yahaya Laraski, disclosed the development in a statement issued on Monday while outlining the achievements and challenges of the tribunal under its new leadership.
Laraski said the proposed legislation is being pursued as an Executive Bill through the Attorney-General of the Federation and the Secretary to the Government of the Federation.
According to him, the new court would replace the existing tribunal and exercise broader jurisdiction over corruption cases brought by Nigeria’s anti-graft agencies and other authorised institutions.
“The new Chairman is pressing the National Assembly, through the Attorney General of the Federation and the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, for an Act, as an Executive Bill, to change the name to National Anti-Corruption Court as a full-fledged Court with seven Judicial Divisions across Nigeria, to be trying all cases of Anti-Corruption”, Laraski said.
He explained that agencies such as the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB), Public Complaints Commission (PCC) and the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) would be able to prosecute cases before the proposed court.
Laraski added that civil society organisations would also be empowered to institute corruption-related cases before the court.
A major feature of the proposal is the introduction of a summary trial system, under which every corruption case must be concluded within six weeks from the date of arraignment.
“It will be a court of summary trial, whereby all cases must be dispensed with within a period of six weeks from the arraignment date”, he added.
The tribunal said the move is aimed at addressing the prolonged delays that have become common in high-profile corruption trials, where cases often remain in court for years.
Highlighting reforms under the tribunal’s current leadership, Laraski said the CCT had recovered two of its three estate properties allegedly sold illegally. The recovered assets include the official residence of the tribunal’s chairman and its North-East Zonal Office in Bauchi.
He also revealed that the status of the tribunal chairman has been elevated to that of the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, while members of the tribunal now enjoy the status of Federal High Court judges.
According to him, the tribunal has created seven new departments to strengthen its operations, implemented all pending staff promotions and introduced 13 new staff allowances. He added that staff members have participated in more than 20 capacity-building training programmes within the past year.
Despite the reforms, Laraski said the tribunal continues to grapple with major operational challenges, particularly inadequate funding and limited case inflow.
He explained that the tribunal can only hear cases referred to it by the Code of Conduct Bureau, leaving it without the power to initiate proceedings independently.
“The inflow of cases to our Tribunal is determined only by the discretion of the Code of Conduct Bureau. Any case they want is the one we can adjudicate upon”, he stated.
Laraski also lamented that the tribunal rarely receives its full ₦2 billion budgetary allocation, making it difficult to carry out its constitutional responsibilities effectively.
He appealed to the Federal Government to provide improved funding, office furniture, ICT infrastructure, operational vehicles and continuous training to strengthen the tribunal’s capacity.
The Code of Conduct Tribunal was established under Nigeria’s Constitution to try public officers accused of violating the Code of Conduct for Public Officers, including false asset declaration, abuse of office and conflict of interest. Over the years, the tribunal has handled several politically sensitive cases involving senior public officials, but concerns over delays, limited jurisdiction and inadequate funding have continued to fuel calls for the creation of a specialised anti-corruption court.
Felix Ifijeh is a journalist with years of professional reporting experience. Known for his keen news sense, compelling storytelling and commitment to accurate, impactful reporting, he has built a reputation for turning leads into clear, engaging, and well-structured reports that resonate with readers. His work reflects deep newsroom experience and a commitment to accurate, impactful journalism.
