The chairman of the Independent and Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC), Musa Aliyu, says the commission recovered more than N20 billion and other properties from corrupt individuals in 2024.
Mr Aliyu said this on Monday in Ilorin during an interview on the sidelines of a conference of state attorneys general in the North-Central zone.
The conference had as its theme “Strengthening Subnational Synergies for Corruption Prevention: Advancing the National Anti-Corruption Strategy in Nigeria’s North Central Region”.
Mr Aliyu noted that corruption was prevalent at both federal and subnational levels and said that prevention was more strategic, less costly, and would help retain the country’s assets and resources.
“We all know that the judicial process in Nigeria is too slow because of many cases on the table, and that is why we should prevent corruption.
“But if it eventually happens, we will now go for enforcement, which is the investigation and probably prosecution,” he said.
The ICPC boss said the commission was ensuring that assets taken outside the shores of Africa and recovered were not looted again.
“One of the strategies identified as a necessary tool for success in our shared pursuit of justice is the continuity and reassessment of our efforts in the fight against corruption as criminal trends evolve and national events unfold,” he said.
Mr Aliyu, however, said the commission would not relent in its fight against corruption.
The chairman of the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB), Abdullahi Bello, said corruption remains a major obstacle to Nigeria’s progress.
Mr Bello said effective anti-corruption measures at the state level were critical to achieving national progress.
The CCB chairman said the bureau had introduced initiatives to enhance transparency and accountability among public servants.
He stated that the bureau was developing an online asset declaration system, which would provide a more efficient and modern platform for public officers to comply with the law.
The Kwara Attorney General, Senior Sulyman, called for more coordinated efforts at fighting corruption.
In his goodwill message, the chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Anti-Corruption, Kayode Akiolu, stated that corruption was a national phenomenon that had prevented the country from fulfilling its national promises since independence.
Mr Akiolu said the National Assembly was committed to winning the battle against corruption, adding that the 10th assembly had ensured the adequate funding of anti-corruption agencies.
In his remarks, the chairman of the Senate Committee on Anti-Corruption, Emmanuel Udende, commended the ICPC for decentralising the fight against corruption while calling for unified action.
(NAN)
