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  • Media crucial partner in anti-graft fight, says ICPC Chairman Aliyu

    Media crucial partner in anti-graft fight, says ICPC Chairman Aliyu

    • NUJ president seeks protection for members

    The Chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), Dr. Musa Adamu Aliyu, has said the media remains a crucial partner in the nation’s fight against corruption.

    Nigeria Union of Journalists (NJ) President Chris Isiguzo called for maximum protection of journalists to enable them expose corrupt practices in the country.

    The duo spoke yesterday in Abuja at a workshop with the theme: The Power of the Pen in the Fight Against Corruption, organised by the ICPC in collaboration with the NUJ and MacArthur Foundation to build the capacity of journalists to report on corruption and governance issues.

    Aliyu called for continuous dialogue and partnership between anti-corruption agencies, like the ICPC, and the media.

    He said: “The media is a key ally in our fight against corruption. Without the work of investigative journalists and robust reporting, much of the corruption we see today would remain hidden from the public eye.

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    “The ICPC is committed to supporting the media in this fight, and we encourage collaboration that will allow for accurate dissemination of information that helps the public to understand the scale and impact of corruption in Nigeria.”

    Isiguzo noted that the safety and security of journalists must be a top priority, if they are to continue their essential duty with all its risks. 

    He said: “While our role in combating corruption is crucial, we cannot ignore the inherent dangers that come with it. The fight against corruption is, in itself, a risky venture. Journalists who expose corruption often face threats to their lives, intimidation, harassment, and, in some cases, physical violence. Unfortunately, these risks are all too real in Nigeria and other parts of the world.

    “The safety and security of journalists must be a top priority, if we are to continue this essential work. The NUJ, along with our partners, must advocate for stronger protections for journalists who take on the dangerous task of exposing corruption.

    “There is an urgent need for laws that not only protect freedom of the press but also ensure that journalists can carry out their duties without fear of retaliation.

    “Journalists should not be forced to choose between their duty to the public and their personal safety. We need comprehensive policies that guarantee the security of investigative journalists and whistleblowers, ensuring that their important work does not result in harm. This includes creating mechanisms for reporting threats, providing legal support, and fostering a safe environment where journalists can carry out their work with confidence.

    “I call on the government, civil society organisations (CSOs), and media owners to ensure that journalists are well-equipped and protected, both physically and legally, to investigate and report on corruption without interference. The pen is mightier than the sword, but it must be wielded with safety in mind.”

    Also, the Country Director of the MacArthur Foundation, Dr. Kole Shettima, urged the media to expose corruption and highlight positive stories and individuals driving change in Nigeria’s fight against graft.

    He asid: “The media plays an instrumental role in shaping perceptions and narratives. It is crucial to expose corruption, but it is equally important to promote individuals and institutions that are making positive contributions to the country’s development.

    “When the public sees positive examples, it not only strengthens trust in institutions but also encourages more people to engage in ethical practices.”

  • ICPC recovered N13b stolen funds in one month, says chairman

    ICPC recovered N13b stolen funds in one month, says chairman

    The Chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), Dr. Musa Aliyu (SAN), has said the commission recovered N13 billion diverted public funds last month alone.

    Aliyu announced this in a welcome address he delivered at the launch of ICPC Strategic Action Plan 2024-2028 yesterday in Abuja.

    The commission chairman described the feat as a remarkable achievement.

    According to him, the impressive haul is a testament to the commission’s relentless efforts at combating corruption and ensuring accountability in Nigeria.

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    “Over the past years, the ICPC has made significant progress in discharging its mandate. For example, we recovered over N13 billion diverted public funds in September 2024 alone. This is just one of the many ways we have worked tirelessly to fulfill our mandate.

    “We are also embarking on ICT reforms that will digitalise our operations and enable more efficient investigations, case management, and internal processes.

    “This transformation will position the commission as a leader in leveraging technology to combat corruption, keeping us one step ahead of criminal activities in the digital age,” he said.

    Aliyu said the commission was also developing a specialised curriculum aimed at enhancing the enforcement capacity of our personnel.

    “This initiative equips our officers with the skills and expertise needed to address the complexities of corruption cases with the highest standards of professionalism and efficiency.

    “We are decentralising the anti-corruption efforts by empowering state governments through the mobilisation of state attorneys-general.

    “This approach ensures that state governments are equipped with the tools, knowledge, and resources necessary to effectively combat corruption at the local level,” he said.

    The ICPC chairman recalled that the commission successfully held a conference with state attorneys-general last month, saying more than 30 state chief law officers attended the conference.

    He added that in response to the findings from the Third National Corruption Survey, the commission had intensified efforts to broaden the reach of the anti-corruption campaign by actively engaging citizens, civil society and the media.

    “A key part of this initiative is our upcoming EthicsPod digital community, designed to foster a culture of transparency and accountability across both public offices and everyday life nationwide.

    “These efforts are part of a comprehensive strategy, forming the backbone of our Strategic Action Plan 2024-2028, which builds on our past achievements and charts a clear path for the future.

    “SAP, in line with our ‘CARE for Impact’ initiative (Culture, Accountability, Responsibility, and Efficiency), provided a comprehensive roadmap for achieving our goals over the next five years.

    “It aligns with key national policies such as the Nigeria Agenda 2050, the National Anti-Corruption Strategy 2022-2026, and the National Ethics and Integrity Policy, among others.

    “As part of this strategy, we will continue to strengthen our institutional integrity and deepen collaborations with other stakeholders,” he said.

  • N440m drugs contract: Speaker, five others ask court to stop arrest by ICPC

    N440m drugs contract: Speaker, five others ask court to stop arrest by ICPC

    Kano State House of Assembly Speaker Jibril Ismail Falgore and five others   yesterday asked a High Court  of Kano State to stop the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) from investigating and arresting them.

    Others, who are expected to appear before ICPC today,  are the  Deputy Speaker, Muhammad  Butu Butu;   Majority Leader,  Lawan  Dala; Minority Leader, Labaran  Madari; the Clerk,  of the Assembly, Alhaji Bashir  Diso;  and Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs.

    The ICPC invited all the leaders for investigation in respect of an ongoing probe  of  N440million drugs contract  scam in 44 local government areas .

    All those summoned have, however,  asked the Kano State High Court to restrain the ICPC  or its agents and privies from inviting, threatening, harassing, arresting or further arresting or detaining them.

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    But the ICPC yesterday insisted that the lawmakers must honour its invitation.

    In  their originating summons, dated September 17, the plaintiffs sought the following reliefs:

    “A declaration that upon a proper construction of the provisions of Section 4(2) and 5 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended), the defendant does not have the powers to investigate the legislative functions of the Speaker and three others (plaintiffs as donated to them by the Constitution.

    “A declaration that in line with the provisions of Section 4(6-8) and 5 of the 1999 Constitution and other relevant laws,  the defendant(ICPC) does not have the power to review the plaintiffs’ exercise of legislative powers under  Government Law, 2006.”

  • N440m contract probe: ICPC summons Kano Speaker, others

    N440m contract probe: ICPC summons Kano Speaker, others

    Kano State House of Assembly Speaker Jibril Falgore, Deputy Speaker Muhammad Butu and three others have been invited for questioning as part of the ongoing probe of the N440 million drugs contract scam in 44 local government areas in the state.

    They were invited yesterday by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC).

    Others invited are: Majority Leader Lawan Dala; Minority Leader Labaran Madari; Clerk of the House Bashir Diso;  and the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs.

    Apart from the Permanent Secretary who will interact with ICPC team on September 18, the Speaker and the rest are to undergo interrogation on September 19.

    The letter of invitation, dated yesterday and addressed individually to those invited, reads: “The commission is investigating alleged violations of the provisions of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, No. 5 2000.

    “Pursuant to Section 28 of the said Act, you are to appear for an interview before the undersigned at the ICPC headquarters, Abuja. You are expected to come with either a lawyer, Justice of Peace, Staff of the Legal Aid Council, or any individual of your choice.

    “The appointment is scheduled and should be strictly adhered to. Accept the assurances of the Hon. Chairman’s highest regard.”

    Since July 18, the Kano State Public Complaints and Anti-Corruption Commission has been trying to investigate the award of the N440 million drugs contract, which was awarded to NOVOMED Pharmaceuticals.

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    The contract, which was meant for the supply of drugs to the 44 local government areas, was alleged to be in breach of the state’s Procurement Law and Financial Management Law.

    But, on August 27, the Chairman of the Association of Local Government of Nigeria (ALGON), the Ministry of Local Government Affairs and all the 44 council bosses secured a court order restraining the state anti-graft agency from probing the alleged drugs contract scam.

    They asked the court to declare that the arrest and detention of the applicants and their employees by the Kano State Public Complaints and Anti-Corruption Commission amounted to an infringement and encroachment of their fundamental human rights under Section 34, 35, 36, 41 and 46 of the 1999 Constitution.

    The applicants also asked a Kano State High Court, presided by Justice Ibrahim Musa Muhammad, to restrain ICPC, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), the Commissioner of Police, the Assistant Inspector-General of Police (Zone 1) Kano and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Kano Zonal Command.

    Justice Muhammad, who granted the request to retrain ICPC and others, adjourned the matter to September 12 (yesterday).

    But ICPC chairman, Dr. Musa Aliyu (SAN), who appeared before the Kano State High Court yesterday said the chairmen have no locus standi to institute the matter because the Supreme Court has declared all the caretaker committees in LGAs as illegal nationwide.

    He also said the resolution of the Kano State House of Assembly to extend the tenure of the 44 chairmen of the 44 Caretaker Committees in the councils was not valid because such committees were unknown to the 1999 Constitution.

    He asked the court to vacate the restraining order sought by ALGON, the Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs and the 44 chairmen of the Caretaker Committees.

    As at press time last night, the ICPC had decided to go ahead with the probe of the N440 million drugs contract.

     A source said: “We received Intel from a whistleblower on the drugs scandal and we have decided to investigate all the allegations. There are many other allegations we are looking into.

    “We have invited the Speaker and five others to assist in the course of our investigation. We need to ask them to clarify some issues which may inhibit ongoing investigation.”

  • ICPC rallies 36 state AGs, stakeholders against corruption in Abuja

    ICPC rallies 36 state AGs, stakeholders against corruption in Abuja

    Independent Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) Chairman Dr. Musa Aliyu has stressed the need to build a unified front against corruption.

    The ICPC boss, who spoke yesterday through a statement by Commission spokesman, Demola Bakare, said that the ICPC had put in place strong measures to tackle the menace.

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    According to the statement, the commission had invited the Attorneys-General (AGs) and Commissioners for Justice in the 36 states and other stakeholders for a roundtable in Abuja today.

    He said the meeting would address the challenges of corruption in the land.

    According to him, the AGs summit with the theme: “Building a unified front against corruption in Nigeria,” is organised by the ICPC with support from the MacArthur Foundation.

  • ICPC sets up unit to probe budget, project execution

    ICPC sets up unit to probe budget, project execution

    Independent Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has promised to monitor the expenditure of local governments, following the granting of financial autonomy by the Supreme Court.

    The Resident Commissioner in Osun State, Hassan Mohammed, spoke yesterday in Osogbo at a town hall meeting organised by Insight Initiative for Community and Social Development tagged: ‘Osun Open LG Project’.  

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    He said the commission would engage in more robust engagement with the citizens by enlightening them to ensure they followed the money going to local governments.

    “ICPC will ensure we remove the opacity around the budget process within the local governments and administration of local governments. We will monitor the expenditure of local governments more strenuously.”

  • EFCC, ICPC warn civil servants against bypassing procurement guidelines

    EFCC, ICPC warn civil servants against bypassing procurement guidelines

    The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC) have warned civil servants against circumventing procurement processes to enrich themselves.

    The two anti-graft agencies gave the warning at a two-day integrity innovation lab conference for public servants organised by civil technology organisation, Accountability Lab Nigeria, in partnership with MacArthur Foundation and Ford Foundation in Abuja.

    The two-day conference aimed to give the nation robust, solution-oriented conversations for public servants to enable them build the knowledge and equip themselves with tools to influence norms and change behaviors by promoting accountability, integrity and ethical leadership in their duties.

    The anti-graft agencies referred the civil servants to several sections of their establishment Acts, and the punitive measures recommended for anyone found to have erred and corruptly enriched his or herself in the cause of procurement processes.

    EFCC Chairman Ola Olukoyede, who was represented by an official of the agency, Dr. Johnson Eze, urged Nigerians to key into the fight against corruption.

    The EFCC chairman highlighted several efforts the commission was making to tackle different windows of financial corruption, stressing that while a particular window was detected and closed, criminals created others, especially through the digital space to further perpetuate corrupt practices.

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    He said: “Very often, the person who is screaming at the rooftop, like a child, is the one stabbing somebody in school. We are expecting that one agency will be able to cure every malaise. But I tell you straight up: it is not possible.

    “That is why, if there’s anything that I will, point blank, be saying today, it is hold your end. Then we probably will have a chance to fight corruption.”

    Olukoyede debunked the belief that the EFCC was playing double standards in the fight against corruption.

    He reminded Nigerians about the law that presumes every suspect innocent until otherwise proven, adding that Nigeria is guided by law that citizens and agencies must abide by.

    The ICPC Chairman, Dr. Musa Aliyu, who was represented by Clifford Oparaodu, said the commission had been deeply involved in monitoring procurement processes in the public service arena.

    He urged civil servants to always abide by the established rules to always foster a clean financial management system.

    The Director General of the Bureau of Public Service Reforms (BPSR), Dasuki Arabi, who was represented by the Head of Audit, Emmanuel Achoda, stressed the need to address perceived gaps in service delivery challenges in the nation’s public sector.

    He said: “Globally, public service delivery has remained a great challenge. There is perceived dissatisfaction by citizens on service delivery leading to public mistrust and lack of confidence in the integrity of public officers.”

    “It’s pertinent to state that for any public institution to attain a world-class standard comparable to any of the developed countries, it must have reliable public officers to drive the objectives and goals of government.

    “Upholding integrity in the public service is apt and very strategic to good governance. This accounts for why countries with high level of moral integrity will exhibit lower levels of corruption.”

    The Country Director of Accountability Lab Nigeria, Friday Odeh, explained that the workshop was organised to close or attempt to close the huge trust and confidence gap between public servants and other Nigerians.

    He said: “This is important at this time that we are having conversations on bad governance. There were protests across the country recently which provided an opportunity for citizens to demand for better governance and leadership system that will better their lives.

    “There’s a need for public servants to build trust with the citizens. Public service should be built on integrity, trust and efficiency. We should be accountable and transparent in our dealings with Nigerians. Quality services are far-fetched and that need to be corrected.”

  • ICPC uncovers 22,074 suspicious workers in MDAs

    ICPC uncovers 22,074 suspicious workers in MDAs

    Despite the introduction of the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS), the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has uncovered 22,074 suspicious personnel on the payroll of the Federal Government.

    The commission also discovered that the government paid N37,103,337,614.40  last year to the suspicious workers.

    The affected personnel were located in Ministries, Departments , Agencies, tertiary institutions and the Nigeria Police Force(NPF), which was more allegedly culpable.

    In the MDAs, 12,714 personnel were on the payroll but not in the service wide nominal roll between January and December last year.

    The monetary value of the 12,174 personnel was put at N34,808, 740,634.37

    About 4,190 ex-policemen were found on the IPPIS  payroll.

    These highlights were contained in the report of a comprehensive review of the IPPIS by the commission as part of the anti-corruption system review by the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

    Investigators have discovered that the IPPIS have been tampered with, manipulated and allegedly padded with ghost workers or suspicious personnel.

    According to ICPC investigators, there were many cases of fraud in the IPPIS in the payroll of the MDAs and the Nigeria Police Force(NPF).

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    Some of the  corrupt practices in 20 MDAs  include receiving of double salary, inclusion  of names on IPPIS; use of fictitious names to divert public funds; operation of two IPPIS accounts; and ghost workers.

    For instance, about 95 personnel across all the MDAs had their names on the payroll and the nominal roll but their names were “not the same with the names that came up when verified via banking application.

    Eight of the 95 suspicious beneficiaries  have “the same family name and one of them is linked to two IPPIS accounts.”

    Twenty four workers  from about 20 MDAs were allegedly “receiving double salary from their respective agencies and at times from another.

    At the Ministry of Works, 212 officers on the IPPIS payroll with a monthly monetary value of N31,986, 324.40 are not in the nominal roll of the Ministry and the service wide nominal roll of IPPS

    The commission said: “The general overview of the Nominal Roll and Payroll of MDAs furnished by IPPIS and subjected to an analysis established a quantum disparity of 12, 174 personnel between the two parameters (nominal roll and payroll) used in  the analysis.

    “The said 12,174 personnel were visibly on the payroll but not on the service wide nominal roll between January and December 2023,

    “The monetary value of the  12, 174 personnel is put at N34,808,740,634.37within the period under review. Included in the service wide disparity between the payroll and the nominal roll were the specific discoveries made from some MDAs used as a pilot scheme.”

    But the fraud was allegedly more entrenched in the Nigeria Police Force with thousands of ex-employees on the payroll.

    The report added: “The analysis of NPF payroll focused on December 2023 nominal and payroll obtained from IPPIS for the purpose of comparison. The nominal and payroll have populated names of 350,028 and  312,047 respectively.

    “It was discovered on the nominal roll that 37, 160 staff were described as “ex-employees. However, on the same nominal roll spreadsheet, 37,129 were described as “inactive” whilst the balance of 31 staff were also categorized as having “Active” status.

    “Furthermore, 4,190 staff of NPF, described as “ex-employees” were found on the payroll of IPPIS to have received December 2023 salary amounting  to N980,273,690.51.

    “It was discovered that 3, 228 of the 4, 190 have their records consistent in all parameters used for validation on the payroll such as the names, IPPIS numbers and account numbers.

    “Conversely, the account numbers of the remainder 962 staff were compared with that on the payroll and the findings revealed that the names of staff and bank names were inconsistent.

    “It was also discovered that none of the IPPIS numbers of the aforementioned number of staff on the payroll was found on the nominal roll.

    “Further analysis revealed that the names, IPPIS numbers and account numbers of 20 staff , who were not on the nominal roll, were found on the payroll given by IPPIS amounting to payment of N5,585, 256.13.

    It was also discovered that 40 different staff on the 2023 payroll had different IPPIS numbers that had one account linked to the different names. Of the 40 staff, 21 received double salary.

    “Furthermore, an account number linked to two officers revealed that the account is in the name of a company, Don Aks Ikoro Global. Some names do not match the account name on the nominal and payroll.”

    The IPPIS was conceptulized in 2006 to “improve the effectiveness and efficiency in the storage of personnel records and administration of monthly payroll…”

    According to the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation(OAGF), the objectives of IPPIS are to:

    •       Facilitate automation and storage of personnel records

    •       Support monitoring of staff emolument payments against budget

    •        Prevent wastage and leakages by ensuring staff remuneration is based on factually correct information.

  • Alleged N90b hajj subsidy fraud: ICPC raids NAHCON office, arrests director

    Alleged N90b hajj subsidy fraud: ICPC raids NAHCON office, arrests director

    Operatives of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has raided the headquarters of the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) in Abuja over alleged mismanagement of the N90 billion intervention for the 2024 hajj.

    According to a source, the anti-graft operatives who stormed the hajj house shut down official activities in some strategic offices, including the office of the chief executive officer, finance and procurement departments.

    The source who preferred to be anonymous said the sting operation, which lasted several hours has further brought the commission under public scrutiny on the appropriation of N90 billion subsidy granted for this year’s hajj.

    Apparently not satisfied with the available records, the anti-graft agency went away with the commission’s director of procurement for further investigation, our source said.

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    When contacted, ICPC spokesperson, Demola Bakare, confirmed the visit of operatives of the agency to the Hajj house but said it was on routine investigation.

    Although Bakare was silent over the nature of the investigation, he hinted that the raid was necessitated by the refusal of some officials of the commission to honor ICPC’s invitation.

    Responding to an enquiry, Bakare said: “Yes, we are investigating the National Hajj Commission. We invited some officials who either failed or refused to honour the invitation. We therefore paid them a friendly visit.

    “We didn’t shut down the Commission. ICPC operates within the confines of the law,” Bakare clarified.

    The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) had grilled the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of (NAHCON), Mal. Jalal Ahmad Arabi, over the management of the controversial N90 billion hajj subsidy.

    The investigation followed series of petitions filed against NAHCON essentially on alleged poor management of services during the 2024 exercise and the utility of Federal Government intervention, the anti-graft agency said.

    Nevertheless, NAHCON had clarified the doubt on the allegations and further provided record on how the federal government intervention was allocated in the last exercise.

    Addressing a world press conference in Abuja, Arabi said the commission had paid over N1.6 million each to over 50,000 pilgrims and officials to subsidise the high cost of services occasioned by variation on naira to American dollar exchange rate.

  • 87m bribes worth N700b reported in 2023, says ICPC

    87m bribes worth N700b reported in 2023, says ICPC

    The Chairman of Independent Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), Dr. Musa Adamu Aliyu, has said the country had an estimated 87 million cases of bribes amounting to N700 billion paid out last year.

    He said the frequency of bribes was higher in rural areas than in urban areas.

    The ICPC boss described corruption as the most significant impediment to Nigeria’s development, saying it erodes trust in public institutions, undermines the rule of law, and stifles economic growth.

    Aliyu, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), said this in a keynote address he delivered at the ongoing International Law Conference organised by the Faculty of Law of Ahmadu Bello University in Zaria, Kaduna State.

    Speaking on the topic: Law and Contemporary Societal Issues: Navigating Challenges and Opportunities, the ICPC chairman noted that corruption is not only just a legal issue but also a social problem that requires a comprehensive and sustained approach.

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    In a recent survey conducted by the Nigeria Bureau of Statistics (NBS), he said, corruption ranked fourth among the most critical problems that affected the country in 2023, after cost of living, insecurity, and unemployment.

    Aliyu said: “Despite these challenges, we are making progress. The rate of citizens reporting bribe payments to official authorities increased from 3.6 per cent in 2019 to 8.6 per cent in 2023. This is a testament to the growing awareness and willingness of Nigerians to fight corruption.”

    The ICPC chairman said abuse of office also remained a form of corrupt practice common in many sectors of the nation’s public service.

    He added that sexual harassment was also a significant issue in tertiary institutions, with studies indicating its high prevalence among female students.

    Alluding to 2018 World Bank survey, Aliyu said approximately 70 per cent of female graduates from the nation’s institutions reported experiencing sexual harassment by classmates or instructors.