The Chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), Dr. Musa Aliyu (SAN), has called on legal practitioners to rise to their ethical responsibility by taking a leading role in the fight against corruption and promoting accountability.

Speaking at the recently concluded NBA conference, Aliyu emphasised that it is lawyers’ responsibility to contribute to the fight against corruption and uphold the integrity of the profession, and not otherwise.

The event was attended by prominent figures in the legal and anti-corruption space, including the ICPC Commissioner for Lagos State, Mr. Alex Chukwurah.

He highlighted the core functions of the ICPC to include investigation and prosecution of corruption-related offences, public education, prevention, and system reforms, adding that the continued obstruction of the commission’s constitutional mandate through frivolous lawsuits was unethical and counterproductive.

Referencing the landmark Supreme Court ruling in AG Ondo vs. AG Federation, he noted that the highest court had already affirmed ICPC’s jurisdiction, warning that any further legal distraction would amount to a waste of time and public resources.

The ICPC Chairman addressed the evolving role of artificial intelligence (AI) in the legal profession, stressing that lawyers must stay current or risk irrelevance. He warned that failure to self-regulate technology use could lead to external imposition of control.