The Federal High Court in Abuja is set to determine a dispute between the Chartered Institute of Forensics and Certified Fraud Investigators of Nigeria and the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria over who has the legal authority to train and certify forensic accounting professionals.
The suit, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1559/2026, was filed by CIFCFIN against ICAN.
CIFCFIN is asking the court to restrain ICAN from conducting its Forensic Accounting Certification Programme and awarding the designation Certified Forensic Accountant of Nigeria (CFAN).
According to the claimant, ICAN’s enabling legislation does not confer powers on the accounting body to undertake the particular forensic certification programme now being challenged.
CIFCFIN argues that its own statutory framework gives it responsibility for training, regulating and certifying forensic and fraud-investigation professionals in Nigeria.
The claimant is consequently asking the court for declarations concerning the limits of ICAN’s statutory powers and orders restraining the body from continuing the disputed certification programme.
The case came before Justice Joyce Abdulmalik of the Federal High Court in Abuja, who fixed November 24, 2026, for hearing.
The dispute is potentially significant for accountants, auditors, investigators, compliance professionals and anti-corruption practitioners because forensic accounting increasingly plays a central role in fraud investigation, asset tracing, litigation support and financial-crime prosecution.
At its core, however, the court will be dealing with statutory interpretation.
The issue is not simply which professional organisation has greater expertise, but what powers the National Assembly legally assigned to each body under their respective enabling statutes.
Until the Federal High Court determines the matter, CIFCFIN’s assertions remain claims before the court and do not constitute a judicial finding that ICAN has acted unlawfully.
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