RismadarVoice Reporters
February 25, 2026
The President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Mazi Afam Osigwe, SAN, has called for stronger institutional safeguards to combat fraud, forgery and financial misconduct in Nigeria, declaring that the country must shift from reactive enforcement to proactive prevention.
Osigwe made the remarks at the NBA National Secretariat during a strategic meeting with the leadership of the Chartered Institute of Forensic and Certified Fraud Investigators of Nigeria (CIFCFIN), led by its President, Dr. Ilyasu B. Gashinbaki.
Describing the engagement as more than a courtesy visit, the NBA President said the meeting focused on building scientific and structural defenses against financial crimes and document manipulation, particularly as the country prepares for the 2027 general elections.
“Nigeria has reached a point where we must move beyond reacting to fraud after it has caused damage. We must build systems that prevent it from happening in the first place,” Osigwe stated, adding that prevention is less costly and more effective than investigation and prosecution.
He noted that recurring cases of certificate forgery and document falsification have undermined public confidence and embarrassed national institutions, stressing the need for improved gatekeeping and credible forensic verification processes.
Osigwe commended CIFCFIN for its efforts to institutionalize forensic standards in Nigeria, emphasizing that a modern justice system depends on reliable forensic analysis in areas such as document authentication, digital investigations and financial tracing.
He assured that the NBA is ready to collaborate in capacity building for judges and lawyers, public awareness campaigns and reforms aimed at strengthening institutional credibility.
“Institutional credibility is not optional; it is foundational to the rule of law and democratic stability,” he said.
The partnership, he added, is both timely and strategic in ensuring that integrity in Nigeria’s public life is verified and protected before misconduct takes root.
