ICPC recovers N455b assets in cash and properties in 5 years
By Jeph Ajobaju, Chief Copy Editor
Assets worth more than N454.8 billion were recovered, seized, restrained, and forfeited between February 2019 and March 2023 by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC).
This was disclosed in a report presented by Jude Okoye, ICPC Deputy Director, Planning Research and Statistics, at a training for media practitioners covering the ICPC in Abuja.
Okoye listed the recoveries and the sources as follows:
- N9.341 billion – ICPC Recovery AC
- N45.280 billion – Constituency and Executive Projects Tracking Group (CEPTG-)
- Completed projects on return of contractors to site
- N3.540 billion – ICPC Tax Intervention
- N25.361 billion – lands and building (notional value)
- N67.236 billion – ICPC interventions (investigations)
- N25.73 million – rent received
- N13.418 billion – businesses and farms (notional value)
- N2.865 billion – CEPTG-other recovered assets
- N1.199 billion – cash recovery (domiciliary AC)
- N577.98 million – Vehicles (notional value)
- N110.36 million – cash restrained (interim forfeiture)
- N250.49 million – cash restrained (final forfeiture)
- N284.065 billion – cash restrained
Okoye said the ICPC concluded 4,737 investigations in the five years between February 2019 and March 2023, as well as tracked 3,422 projects under the Constituency and Executive Projects Tracking Initiative (CEPTI), per Vanguard.
The ICPC filed 335 cases in court, is prosecuting 406 in court, and recorded 12 million website hits and social media feedback, he added.
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ICPC recovers N117b in cash and properties
The ICPC had previously disclosed it recovered more than N117 billion through various means in the first eight months of 2022 alone, covering January to August.
ICPC Chairman Bolaji Owasanoye made the disclosure before the House of Representatives Committees on Anti-Corruption and Appropriation in November 2022 during the Commission’s defence of its 2023 budget proposal in Abuja.
He explained the performance of ICPC 2022 budget by giving a breakdown of recoveries to include
- ICPC/TSA recovery account – N1.413 billion and $225,965
- Tax intervention – N1.264 billion cash
- Plots of land – N679.13 million
- Completed buildings – N2.603 billion
- Vehicles – N81.1 million
- Electronics – N1.55 million
- Jewelry – N195,500
Restraining funds
Owasanoye said the ICPC restrained N49.9 billion through System Study and review intervention; N6.435 billion cash (budget tracking); N53.91b billion (ICPC advisory); and N614.2 million (through other accounts).
He highlighted other accomplishments of the ICPC during the 2022 budget cycle to include but not limited to
- Completion of 672 investigations
- Completion of 565 non-petition-led investigations
- Securing of 15 convictions
- Tracking of 538 under Constituency and Executive Projects Tracking Initiative (CEPTI)
- Deployment of Ethics and Integrity Compliance Scorecard in 260 MDAs
- Review of Open Treasury Portal in 30 MDAs
- System Study and Review of 10 MDA
- Inauguration of 26 Anti-Corruption and Transparency Units (ACTUs)
- Monitoring 14 corruption activities
- Public enlightenment and education on corruption through various platforms
Committee Chairman Nicholas Shehu applauded Owasanoye and ICPC board members for their dynamic and visionary leadership which he said had turned around the fortunes of the Commission to a vibrant and viable anti-corruption agency.
He charged the ICPC not to “drop the ball” but “continue to soar higher.”
He also implored the ICPC to develop a whistleblowing mobile app to enable Nigerians report acts of corruption.