The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) on Wednesday expressed commitment to partner with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in the fight against corruption.
The Resident Commissioner of the ICPC, Kaduna State Office, Sakaba Ishiaku, gave the assurance during a courtesy visit to the EFCC office in the state.
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Mr Ishiaku was accompanied by other ICPC officials in the state to the EFCC office.
A press statement by the EFCC on Wednesday said officials from both anti-graft agencies emphasised the need for a united effort in the fight against corruption.
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Mr Ishiaku called on all officers of the anti-graft agencies to intensify their efforts towards eradicating corruption, including cases involving familial affiliations.
The Acting Director of Kaduna Zonal Directorate of the EFCC, Bawa Kaltungo, who received the ICPC’s delegation, acknowledged the visitors’ contributions to the anti-corruption. While commending his ICPC counterparts, Mr Kaltungo affirmed the need for collaboration between the agencies.
The anti-graft agencies’ previous collaboration
This is not the first time EFCC and ICPC have identified the need for collaboration to eradicate corruption.
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In April 2023, the ICPC and EFCC in Kaduna disclosed their agreement to partner in the fight against corruption. At the time, it was EFCC that paid a visit to ICPC’s office, emphasising the need to achieve better results as a motivation for the partnership.
Despite these efforts, corruption persists. According to Transparency International’s 2024 corruption perception index. The report ranked Nigeria 140 out of 180 countries.
Aside from diverting funds, another area of corruption Nigeria faces is within the procurement process. This has prompted the EFCC, ICPC, and the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP) to announce their collaboration in combating corruption in this sector.
