How public officer made anticipatory declaration of N3bn asset

The chairperson of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ola Olukoyede, on Tuesday revealed how an unnamed public officer anticipatorily declared a yet-to-be acquired asset worth N3 billion.

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He said the “anticipatory” declaration was a fraudulent tactic to legitimise planned acts of corruption and diversion of public funds.

Mr Olukoyede said this on Tuesday, in Abuja while delivering a goodwill message at the launch of a Virtual Tool on the Code of Conduct for Public Officers.

The event was organised by the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB) in collaboration with the Technical Unit on Good Governance and Anti-Corruption Reforms (TUGAR).

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Explaining the fraudulent tactic, Mr Olukoyede recounted an EFCC investigation in which a politically exposed person declared ownership of a property worth over N3 billion on their CCB asset declaration form — even though the property did not yet exist at the time of the declaration.

“We obtained the CCB form and noticed the declared address was different from the actual property location. Further investigation revealed the declaration was made before the property was built,” he said.

He urged the CCB to adopt innovative investigative strategies to detect and prevent such schemes.

CCB’s new virtual tool

The Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, described the new tool as a significant milestone in digitising oversight of public conduct, promoting preventive compliance, and strengthening ethics in public service.

Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Didi Walson-Jack, emphasised the importance of leveraging technology to improve transparency and accountability.

“Without conduct and ethics, no reform will last. This tool is accessible, cost-effective, and promotes compliance tracking,” she said.

CCB Chairman, Abdullahi Bello, said the platform would enhance accountability and guide public officers on ethical and regulatory standards.

Background

In February, Mr Olukoyede vowed that under his leadership, no corrupt public officer would go unpunished.

He reiterated this stance at a recent three-day workshop on anti-corruption, fiscal responsibility, transparency, and good governance for state and local government officials, organised by the House Committee on Financial Crimes in collaboration with the EFCC.

Speaking through the EFCC Academy Commandant, Chinwe Ndubeze, Mr Olukoyede said, “Seventy per cent of Nigeria’s public sector problems stem from poor fiscal transparency. Trillions are budgeted annually for critical needs, but funds are diverted or stolen while citizens suffer.”

House Committee on Financial Crimes Chairman, Hon. Ginger Onwusibe — represented by committee clerk Austin Adesoro — called for stronger whistleblower protections and the sanctioning of corrupt officials.

Representatives from the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU), Barclays Consult Group, and the CCB all commended the initiative, stressing the need for continuous capacity-building and public sector awareness to block systemic loopholes.