the president of the Commission of Economic and Financial Crimes (EFCC), Abdulrasheed Bawa, praised the elevation of two of the commission’s prosecutors to the rank of Senior Advocate for Nigeria (SAN).
PREMIUM TIMES reported that the Legal Professionals Privileges Committee (LPPC) released a list of 62 new SAN appointees to be sworn in in November.
Among them are three lawyers from the EFCC.
While two of them, Sylvanus Tahir and Rotimi Oyedepo, are employed by the EFCC, the other, Wahab Shittu, is hired by the anti-corruption agency as a private prosecutor for specific cases.
“We are committed to the development of the legal practice in Nigeria through our thorough equipping of our law library and proper training of our lawyers. The LPPC has made very informed decisions for the elevation of the two prosecutors. I am sure many more will rise yet,” Bawa said in a statement from commission spokesman Wilson Uwujaren on Friday.
Read the full EFCC statement
EFCC PRESS RELEASE.
Bawa welcomes the elevation of the EFCC prosecutors to the SAN rank.
Executive Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Abdulrasheed Bawa, commended the Legal Practitioners Privileges Committee, LPPc, for elevating two EFCC staff and prosecutors: Sylvanus Tahir and Rotimi Oyedepo to the coveted rank of Nigerian Senior Lawyer. , SAN.
ALSO READ: Three EFCC prosecutors, 59 others make new list of SAN appointees (FULL List)
He gave the eulogy on Friday, September 30, 2022, commenting on the LPPC decision that approved the elevation of 62 lawyers, including two EFCC prosecutors, to the rank of SAN. He said the LPPC was correct in recognizing the excellent qualities of the two prosecutors, emphasizing that their promotion was well deserved. In particular, he expressed his satisfaction with the standard law library at the EFCC, which he described as well-equipped, competitive and second to none.
“We are committed to the development of the legal practice in Nigeria through our thorough equipping of our law library and proper training of our lawyers. The LPPC has made very informed decisions for the elevation of the two prosecutors. I am sure that many more will rise still,” he said.
Tahir and Oyedepo, were, on Thursday, September 29, 2022, approved to be elevated to the rank of SAN.
Chief Clerk of the Supreme Court Hajo Bello, in a statement on Thursday, said his elevation was based on a decision made at the LPPC’s 154th plenary session. According to him, “The rank of Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) is awarded as a mark of excellence for members of the legal profession who have distinguished themselves as advocates and scholars.”
The two EFCC prosecutors, along with 60 others, will be sworn in on Monday, November 21, 2022.
Tahir heads the legal and prosecution unit at the EFCC’s corporate headquarters. He is known for securing convictions of politically exposed persons for the EFCC. Witty, unassuming, and versed in the pyrotechnics of law, he is a well-regarded prosecutor who is hard to beat in any trial.
Oyedepo also heads the President’s Monitoring Unit at the EFCC’s Lagos Command. A top-notch prosecutor with brilliant credentials, his brilliant appearance on the Court of Appeals and the Supreme Court upheld the constitutionality of Section 17 of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offenses Act, which now empowers the Commission to confiscate property suspected of being the proceeds of illicit activities.
Also on the list of 62 new SANs is an EFCC private prosecutor, Mr. Wahab Shittu.
Wilson UwujarenHead, Media and AdvertisingSeptember 30, 2022