The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has warned legal practitioners who charge clients professional fees in foreign currencies that they may face prosecution.Legal Consulting Service. The warning was issued by the Acting Zonal Director of the EFCC Lagos Zonal Directorate 2, ACE I Bawa Usman Kaltungo, during a meeting with members of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) Lagos Task Force on Illegal Practice of Law. The NBA delegation, led by the Head of the Task Force, Moshood Abiola, visited Kaltungo at the Commission’s Lagos office on Friday, September 11, 2026.
Kaltungo expressed concern over what he described as illegal and unethical practices among some legal practitioners, stressing that the EFCC would take action against lawyers found violating applicable laws. He specifically highlighted the practice of charging professional fees in foreign currencies, warning that lawyers found culpable could be prosecuted.
The warning comes amid increased scrutiny of foreign currency transactions in Nigeria as regulatory and law-enforcement agencies intensify efforts to ensure compliance with financial laws.
The visit by the NBA Lagos Task Force was also part of ongoing engagement between the legal profession and the EFCC on professional ethics and issues surrounding the illegal practice of law.
However, the material provided did not identify the specific statutory provision under which the EFCC intends to prosecute lawyers solely for charging professional fees in foreign currencies.