The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has warned Nigerian lawyers against billing clients in dollars or other foreign currencies, describing the practice as illegal and contrary to professional standards.
The Commission issued the warning on Monday, September 14, 2026, during a meeting between its Lagos Zonal Directorate 2 and the Nigerian Bar Association, NBA, Lagos Task Force on Illegal Practice of Law.
The Acting Zonal Director of the EFCC’s Lagos Zonal Directorate 2, Bawa Usman Kaltungo, urged legal practitioners to operate within the provisions of Nigerian law and established professional standards.
The Commission warned that lawyers who demand payment in foreign currencies for legal services could face prosecution.
The meeting, led by the Head of the NBA task force, Moshood Abiola, also explored measures to tackle illegal practices in the legal profession and strengthen cooperation between the two bodies.
The EFCC’s latest position is part of its broader campaign against the dollarisation of domestic transactions.
In 2024, EFCC Chairman Ola Olukoyede warned schools, hotels, supermarkets and other businesses against demanding payment in foreign currencies for goods and services within Nigeria.
The Commission had maintained that the practice could constitute a criminal offence under Nigerian law.
The latest warning comes as the EFCC continues its enforcement and asset-recovery operations.
The Commission recently disclosed that it recovered 1.23 trillion naira over a 34-month period, with 661.32 billion naira and 492.37 million dollars released to beneficiaries.
Of the funds released, 325.35 billion naira went directly to individuals and corporate bodies, while 335.97 billion naira was released to government agencies, state revenue services, other public institutions and beneficiaries.
