The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has warned Nigerian lawyers against charging clients in dollars or other foreign currencies for legal services provided in the country.
The warning was issued on Monday during a meeting between the EFCC’s Lagos Zonal Directorate 2 and the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) Lagos Task Force on Illegal Practice of Law.
The Acting Zonal Director, ACE I Bawa Usman Kaltungo, said lawyers must comply with Nigeria’s laws and professional rules governing payments for services rendered locally.
He specifically cautioned legal practitioners against demanding professional fees from Nigerian clients in foreign currencies, warning that violators could face prosecution.
The meeting, led on the NBA side by the Head of the Lagos Task Force, Moshood Abiola, also explored areas of cooperation between the commission and the legal profession in tackling unlawful practices.
The EFCC’s position is part of its wider campaign against the dollarisation of domestic transactions.
The commission has previously warned schools, hotels, supermarkets, estate developers and other businesses against pricing goods and services in foreign currencies within Nigeria.
The latest warning means lawyers who insist on receiving fees in dollars for services rendered in Nigeria could come under the scrutiny of the anti-graft agency.
