Ude Jones Udeogu v FRN & Ors no SC. 622C/2019: its implication on fighting financial crime and the way forward

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to show how fighting financial crime suffered a setback in Nigeria as a result of the Supreme Court ruling in an appeal case – Ude Jones Udeogu v FRN and Ors no SC. 622C/2019. Design/methodology/approach - This paper is a critical analysis of the implication of Supreme Courts’ ruling in Ude Udeogu Jones, its implication to law enforcement’s effort in fighting financial crime and the way to get around the ruling. The paper adopts qualitative methods. It is conducted through the analysis of the ruling and the relevant laws. Findings - Due to the ruling in UdeUdeogu Jones, Section 396(7) of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act 2015 is no longer good law. Federal High Court judges elevated to the Court of Appeal no longer have special dispensation to conclude criminal cases they part heard. Furthermore, the ruling is a serious setback on the law enforcement’s efforts in fighting corruption. However, the drastic effect of the ruling can be mitigated by amending Section 396(7). Research limitations/implications - Because the ruling is very recent, analysis is based on the relevant enactments and case laws including recent decisions of the Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court. Originality/value - There is no comprehensive work on this ruling. Therefore, this paper adds value to knowledge as it makes clear the background of the appeal case, as well as the impact of the ruling of the Supreme Court on fighting financial crime in Nigeria and the way to get around the ruling.