ICPC recovers N30bn, $966,900 in cash in one year

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) says that it recovered N29.7 billion in cash and $966,900.83 in foreign currency as part of its anti-corruption efforts.

The funds, it said, have been deposited in the commission’s account with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).

Musa Aliyu, ICPC chairman, disclosed this on Tuesday during a press briefing at the commission’s headquarters in Abuja to mark his first year in office.

Aliyu also revealed that the commission successfully recovered N10 billion in COVID-19 vaccine funds within the past year.

He said, “The commission continues to ensure accountability in government funds and deliver sustainable projects for the benefit of Nigerians. There are a lot of achievements we have made over the past year. Some of these include our strategic action plan, which provides a sense of direction aligned with the National Anti-Corruption Strategic Plan 2022–2026.”

Highlighting the commission’s financial recovery strides, Aliyu added, “We recovered N29.7bn in cash. Additionally, we stopped the diversion of N10bn in COVID-19 vaccine funds, which have been remitted. We also recovered assets and secured about N2.5bn in bank recoveries.”

The chairman further revealed that the ICPC prevented the diversion of public funds worth N5.882 billion.

In its efforts to promote institutional integrity, Aliyu said the commission assessed 323 ministries, departments, and agencies (MDAs) through its Ethics and Integrity Compliance Scorecard (EICS).

The ICPC also established 80 anti-corruption and transparency units across various MDAs to reinforce its anti-corruption mandate.

“The commission stopped the diversion of public funds amounting to N5.882 billion. The report of the EICS exercise, conducted earlier this year, is ready and will be released to the media and the public,” Aliyu said.

The ICPC also recovered and remitted N10.986 billion in Value-Added Tax (VAT) to the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS).

Aliyu disclosed that the commission processed 851 petitions over the last year, with 342 assigned for investigation, 95 fully investigated, 72 cases filed in court, and 16 convictions secured.

The chairman emphasised the ICPC’s commitment to strengthening accountability and transparency across public institutions, stressing that its achievements reflect its determination to combat corruption and safeguard public resources for the benefit of Nigerians.