ICPC Advocates Tech-driven Anti-corruption Fight

Segun Awofadeji in Gombe

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 yesterday 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 Oparaodu, 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 its Chairman Dr. Musa 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. We continue to strengthen ties with key partners, including to improve intelligence sharing and enforcement,” he stated.

A press release signed by Demola Bakare, Director, Public Enlightenment and Education/Spokesperson for the commission, quoted Bello as also highlighting 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.

He also disclosed that the cross-border legal hurdles, delay in Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty (MLAT) processes and stringent international requirements were 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.