The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has called for a stronger embrace of tactical, intelligence-led, and technology-driven approaches in Nigeria’s ongoing war against corruption.
This strategic appeal was made during a high-level engagement in Abuja with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) Article IV Consultation Team, currently in Nigeria at the invitation of the Federal Government for its annual economic assessment.
Mr. Clifford Okwudiri Oparaodu, DSSRS, Secretary to the Commission, reaffirmed the ICPC’s unwavering commitment to tackling corruption through smarter, more collaborative enforcement. He emphasized the urgency of innovation and coordination to outpace the ever-evolving techniques of financial criminals.
Mr. Richard Bello, Deputy Director, Planning, Research, and Statistics Department of the Commission, presented a detailed report titled “Nigeria–International Monetary Fund Hybrid Article IV Consultation Exercise.” The report outlined the Commission’s major achievements under the leadership of Chairman Dr. Musa Adamu Aliyu, SAN, particularly in dismantling financial crimes and public sector abuse.
According to Bello, the ICPC has recently uncovered and prosecuted high-profile cases involving procurement fraud, embezzlement, money laundering, and abuse of office, while recovering significant sums of public funds.
“Our intelligence-driven operations have successfully disrupted illicit financial flows and recovered significant public funds,” Bello said. “We continue to strengthen ties with partners like the EFCC, NFIU, CCB, and INTERPOL to improve intelligence sharing and enforcement.”
He also highlighted the Commission’s increased use of digital tools and advanced data analytics for more effective evidence gathering and case tracking. However, Bello noted several critical barriers still impeding progress:
Digital Forensics Limitations: High costs of forensic tool licensing are restricting expansion of digital investigations.
Service Withdrawal: The exit of Cellebrite’s forensic services from Nigeria has left operational gaps.
Cross-Border Legal Hurdles: Delays in Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty (MLAT) processes and tough international requirements are slowing transnational investigations.
The IMF delegation, led by Mr. Jonathan Pampolina and Ms. Nene Ikechukwu of the Federal Ministry of Finance, engaged deeply with the ICPC’s methodology for Corruption Risk Assessments and explored legal reforms needed to reinforce Nigeria’s anti-graft efforts.
The meeting was attended by directors across ICPC departments, as well as senior personnel from the Anti-Corruption Academy of Nigeria (ACAN), the Commission’s training institute.
This meeting, according to analysts, reflects renewed urgency from both domestic and international actors to confront systemic corruption with data-driven, collaborative, and adaptive strategies that align with global standards.
Stay tuned with Newspot Nigeria as we continue to monitor critical developments shaping transparency, accountability, and public sector reform in Nigeria.
Original ICPC Statement
INDEPENDENT CORRUPT PRACTICES AND OTHER RELATED OFFENCES COMMISSION (ICPC)
PRESS RELEASE
Monday, 14th April 2025
ICPC Urges Tactical, Tech-Driven Anti-Corruption Measures Amid Evolving Threats
The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has called for more tactical and technology-driven approaches to combat corruption as financial crimes become increasingly sophisticated.
This appeal was made on Monday during a high-level engagement with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) Article IV Consultation Team in Abuja.
The IMF delegation, in Nigeria at the invitation of the Federal Government, met with ICPC officials to assess progress on anti-corruption reforms and governance measures as part of its annual economic review.
Representing the Commission, ICPC Secretary Mr. Clifford Okwudiri Oparaodu, DSSRS, reaffirmed the agency’s commitment to tackling corruption through intelligence-led operations and inter-agency collaboration.
In a presentation titled “Nigeria–International Monetary Fund Hybrid Article IV Consultation Exercise,” Mr. Richard Bello, Deputy Director of the ICPC’s Planning, Research, and Statistics Department, outlined the Commission’s strategic efforts under the leadership of Chairman Dr. Musa Adamu Aliyu, SAN.
Bello noted that the ICPC remains focused on mitigating the devastating impact of corruption on the Nigerian economy, society, and public governance. He cited recent high-profile investigations into procurement fraud, embezzlement, abuse of office, and money laundering, which have led to several prosecutions since January 2024.
“Our intelligence-driven operations have successfully disrupted illicit financial flows and recovered significant public funds,” Bello stated. “We continue to strengthen ties with key partners, including the EFCC, NFIU, CCB, and INTERPOL, to improve intelligence sharing and enforcement.”
Bello also highlighted the Commission’s growing reliance on digital tools and advanced analytics for evidence gathering and case tracking.
However, he pointed to critical challenges impeding progress, including Digital Forensics Limitations, which involve high licensing fees for digital forensic tools that are constraining the Commission’s capacity to scale investigations, as well as Service Withdrawal that entails the exit of Cellebrite’s forensic services from Nigeria has created significant operational gaps in digital investigations.
He also disclosed that the Cross-Border Legal Hurdles: Delays in Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty (MLAT) processes and stringent international requirements are hampering the retrieval of evidence in transnational corruption cases.
The IMF team, led by Mr. Jonathan Pampolina and Ms. Nene Ikechukwu of the Federal Ministry of Finance, explored the ICPC’s Corruption Risk Assessment methodology and the broader legal reforms needed to bolster Nigeria’s anti-corruption framework.
The meeting, which underscored the urgency of adopting data-driven, collaborative approaches to tackle systemic corruption, was attended by directors from key ICPC departments, including the Provost of the training arm of the Commission, the Anti-Corruption Academy of Nigeria (ACAN).
Signed
Demola Bakare, fsi
Director, Public Enlightenment and Education/
Spokesperson for the Commission
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