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ICPC Recovers ₦5.3bn from Council Accounts, Moves to Put Every LG’s Books Onlin, as Nasarawa flag off ICPC–NITDA local Govt websites pilot
ICPC Recovers ₦5.3bn from Council Accounts, Moves to Put Every LG’s Books Onlin, as Nasarawa flag off ICPC–NITDA local Govt websites pilot
The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has recovered over ₦5.3 billion from a review of local government accounts in seven states and the Federal Capital Territory, and is now moving to make councils across the country publish their finances online.
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“Nasarawa becomes first state to flag off ICPC–NITDA local government websites pilot.”
The Chairman of ICPC, Dr. Musa Adamu Aliyu, SAN, disclosed this on Thursday in Lafia at the flag-off of the ICPC–NITDA Local Government Websites Pilot. The pilot begins in Nasarawa State, ahead of a planned rollout to all 774 local government areas.
Dr. Aliyu said the Supreme Court’s July 2024 judgment, which affirmed the financial autonomy of local government councils and the direct payment of their statutory allocations, had raised the stakes at the grassroots.
“Autonomy brings responsibility. Funds that now flow directly to the councils must be spent openly and for the benefit of the people,” he said.
The recoveries, he said, show both the scale of the risk at the grassroots and what scrutiny can achieve, and the websites are the preventive side of the same effort.
Built on a standardised template developed under the Commission’s Accountability and Corruption Prevention Programme for Local Governments (ACPP-LG), they will require councils to disclose information in five areas: financials, covering budgets, allocations, revenue, expenditure, audits and debts; open procurement; human resources; citizen engagement, including whistleblowing channels; and control of corruption.
“When these records are published regularly, citizens can follow the money, the media can ask informed questions and oversight institutions can detect risks early, before they become losses,” he said.
The Executive Governor of Nasarawa State, Engr. Abdullahi A. Sule, CON, performed the flag-off at the Banquet Hall, Government House, at the event themed “Deepening Transparency and Accountability at the Grassroots through Digital Disclosure”. The Secretary to the Nasarawa State Government, Dr. Shuaibu Magaji Labaran, SAN, delivered the welcome address.
Dr. Aliyu said the choice of Nasarawa as the first state reflected the Governor’s commitment to good governance.
He noted that the Commission’s training institution, the Anti-Corruption Academy of Nigeria, is located in Keffi in the state and has long enjoyed the support of the State Government.
He acknowledged the pledge made by the NITDA Director-General, during an earlier courtesy visit to ICPC, that the agency would register the domain names, develop the websites and host them for at least one year for all 774 local government areas.
ICPC, he said, brings the content standards and accountability framework, while NITDA brings the technology and platform.
“A website is only as good as the information on it; one that is launched and then abandoned will only disappoint the people,” the Chairman said, appealing to council chairmen to nominate committed officers, take ownership of the platforms and keep them updated promptly and accurately.
Dr. Aliyu assured the councils that ICPC visits the websites as a partner in prevention and not as an instrument of witch-hunting, adding that lessons from the pilot will refine the template and the rollout plan for the remaining states.
“Transparency is not an event. It is a habit that will lead to accountability,” he said.
In his goodwill message, the Director-General of NITDA, Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, CCIE, painted the picture of a woman in a remote Nasarawa community who must travel more than 60 kilometres, at her own expense, to learn whether her council has approved a community project or to lodge a complaint.
“We are in a digital age. Our people are online; therefore, government needs to be online to serve them better,” he said.
The DG listed three objectives of the initiative: better governance, better citizen engagement and better economic opportunities.
He said NITDA would set standards, build templates and train citizens, and urged councils to use local talent to build and sustain the websites.
He disclosed that the pilot would be scaled to every council in the country. “Our ambition is not 774 websites. It is 774 digitally empowered local governments delivering better experience to millions of Nigerians,” he said.
Flagging off the pilot, Governor Sule introduced the Nasarawa State Information Technology and Digital Economy Agency (NASITDEA) as the state’s technical champion for the initiative.
He directed each council to take responsibility for the accuracy and regular updating of its published information, and to assign responsible officers to verify information before publication.
The Governor observed that a website is only credible when it is current and useful, and called on civil society, the media and community institutions to use the platforms.
Success, he said, would be measured by whether people can find the information, whether it is current and whether it is used, not by the launch.
ICPC–NITDA
He added that with allocations disclosed as they are received, the era of councils failing to pay salaries on the claim that funds had not arrived was over. He also told ICPC and NITDA that the initiative would not be complete until state governments make the same disclosures, and offered Nasarawa as the first to join, so that citizens can tell where funds meant for councils are held up.
In his remarks, the Emir of Lafia, HRH Justice Sidi Bage Muhammad I (rtd.), expressed pride at being part of the occasion.
He commended the Chairman of ICPC, the Director-General of NITDA and Governor Sule for the initiative.
The Speaker of the Nasarawa State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Dr. Danladi Jatau, pledged the Assembly’s backing.
He recalled that the Constitution empowers the House to oversee local government finances and commended the Governor for his openness on federal allocations.
The flag-off was followed by a technical session on the standardised website template.
Closing his remarks, Dr. Aliyu reaffirmed that ICPC remains committed to working with the Nasarawa State Government, NITDA, the local government councils and the people of the state to make transparency at the grassroots last.
J. Okor Odey
Head, Media and Public Communications, ICPC
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ICPC Vows to Pursue Ongoing Cases with Vigour, Transparency and Credibility
The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has received credible intelligence indicating that certain disgruntled and unpatriotic elements are plotting a campaign of misinformation and blackmail aimed at discrediting the Commission and undermining public confidence in its operations.
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The Commission believes these attempts are connected to ongoing investigations into alleged fake agencies and other high-profile cases involving politically exposed persons.
The ICPC wishes to state unequivocally that it has nothing to hide and will continue to discharge its statutory responsibilities professionally, independently and without fear or favour. All ongoing investigations will be pursued diligently and vigorously, in strict accordance with due process and the rule of law.
The Commission will neither be intimidated nor distracted by blackmail, deliberate falsehoods or attempts to undermine its legitimate anti-corruption mandate. No individual or group, regardless of political, social or economic standing, will be permitted to influence the course of lawful investigations.
ICPC
While the Commission welcomes legitimate scrutiny and constructive criticism, it will not succumb to campaigns designed to frustrate credible investigations or intimidate its officers in the lawful performance of their duties.
The Commission remains resolute in protecting the public interest, pursuing ongoing cases with renewed vigour and strengthening accountability in Nigeria.
J. Okor Odey
Spokesperson
Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC)
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EFCC Boss Olukoyede Charges Inducted Engineering Students on Integrity in Ekiti
The Executive Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Mr. Ola Olukoyede, has charged students, particularly graduates of engineering, to shun corruption and uphold integrity, accountability and transparency in their professional and personal lives.
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He gave the charge in Ikere-Ekiti, Ekiti State on Thursday, November 12, 2026 at the Induction Ceremony of 45 Engineering graduates of Bamidele Olumilua University of Education, Science and Technology (BOUESTI), where he delivered a lecture titled, “Integrity, Accountability and the Fight Against Economic and Financial Crimes: Building a Culture of Transparency and Responsibility in Nigeria.”
The EFCC Chairman who is the Guest Lecturer, described integrity as the foundation of ethical leadership and responsible service, warned that corruption in the public and private sectors remained a major obstacle to Nigeria’s development.
He said engineers, by virtue of their professional responsibilities, must demonstrate integrity in the execution of projects, noting that compromised standards in infrastructure development could endanger lives and undermine public trust. According to him “the absence of integrity allows professionals to falsify records, manipulate contracts, divert public funds and compromise the quality of projects meant to serve the public”
The anti-graft czar challenged the newly inducted graduates to resist the temptation of using their professional positions for personal enrichment at the expense of public interest. “Where there is integrity, no public official will embezzle public funds, and where there is integrity, no engineer will certify a poorly executed project”, he said.
The EFCC chairman lamented that despite Nigeria’s enormous natural and human resources, corruption, poor public accountability and the mismanagement of national wealth had continued to undermine the country’s development.
He disclosed that the Commission had secured 10,872 convictions and recovered monetary assets worth over N1.288 trillion in the last three years as part of efforts to combat economic and financial crimes.
Olukoyede, however, maintained that the fight against corruption could not be won through investigation, enforcement and prosecution alone, stressing the need for a fundamental change in individual and national values.
He said the EFCC had adopted a preventive approach through its Fraud Risk Assessment and Control (FRAC) department, which identifies systemic weaknesses in Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) that could create opportunities for fraud.
He also urged students to reject cybercrime, identity theft, internet fraud and other illicit activities, warning that the temporary gains of criminal activities could lead to lasting damage to their reputations and future prospects.
The Commission, he added, was investing in a Cybercrime Research Centre at its academy in Abuja, to promote research, training, fraud prevention and the redirection of young people towards ethical practices.
Olukoyede further called on families, educational institutions, religious organisations, traditional rulers and professional bodies to take collective responsibility for promoting integrity and accountability in society.
Earlier, The Vice-Chancellor of the university, Prof. Babatunde Omojola, highlighted the importance of the Induction Ceremony in advancing the University’s commitment to producing competent and professionally responsible graduates.
Omojola emphasised the need for Universities to equip students with the knowledge, practical skills and ethical values required to address societal challenges, particularly in a rapidly evolving technological environment.
He urged the inductees to justify the confidence reposed in them by the institution, uphold the standards of the engineering profession and deploy their expertise towards national development.
The University don showered encomium on the EFCC Chairman on his giant strides in sanitising Nigeria and honouring the school’s invitation.
In his welcome address, the Dean of the Faculty of Engineering, Engr. S.A. Akinola, said the Induction Ceremony was an important milestone for the University, the faculty and the engineering profession.
EFCC
Akinola identified knowledge, responsibility and partnership as the three pillars guiding the faculty’s vision, stressing that engineering education must go beyond theoretical knowledge to equip students with practical skills to address societal challenges.
He said the faculty was encouraging innovation through student projects in sensor-based systems, automation, solar energy and other technology-driven solutions.
The dean also disclosed that the faculty was working towards establishing an engineering innovation scale-up facility, modern workshops and collaborative learning spaces to expose students to contemporary engineering tools and technologies.
He called for partnerships with professional bodies, government institutions, corporate organisations and development partners to support the faculty’s development plans.
IGP Disu Opens Training for Newly Promoted AIGs and CPs, Urges Leadership and Accountability
The Inspector-General of Police, IGP Olatunji Rilwan Disu, psc(+), NPM, on Thursday, 12th November 2026, declared open the Executive Training on Advanced Command, Strategic Leadership and Policing Governance for newly promoted Assistant Inspectors-General of Police and Commissioners of Police at the National Institute of Police Studies (NIPS), Abuja. The programme is designed to strengthen strategic leadership, and command effectiveness.
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In his remarks, the IGP congratulated the officers on their promotions, stressing that higher rank carries greater responsibility and accountability. He charged them to anticipate security challenges, manage resources effectively and make sound decisions guided by professionalism, the rule of law and the public interest.
The IGP identified integrity, personnel development and public trust as core leadership priorities. He demanded zero tolerance for corruption, abuse of office and indiscipline, and urged participants to prioritise mentorship and personnel welfare. He noted that leadership is measured not only by achievements in office but also by the quality of officers developed and left behind.
He further charged participants to earn public confidence through fairness, respect for human rights and responsive service. He urged them to engage actively in the training and translate the knowledge gained into stronger command performance and improved public safety.
IGP Disu
In his address, the Director-General of NIPS, Professor Olu Ogunsakin, emphasised that senior command requires a broader understanding of security patterns and organisational challenges. He explained that the training would combine practical scenarios, dialogue and strategic thinking to sharpen participants’ judgement and prepare them to lead with courage, humanity and confidence.
The Nigeria Police Force remains committed to continuous professional development, accountable leadership and personnel welfare as foundations for effective, people-oriented policing.
CSP ANI INIEDU, anipr
Force Public Relations Officer,
Force Headquarters, Abuja.
13th November, 2026.
Eereporter.com
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