_…Urges personnel to recommit to integrity, professionalism, and collective effort in 2026_
The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has announced the recovery of ₦37.44 billion and $2.353 million in 2025 through asset seizures and forfeitures, one of its most significant annual recovery figures to date.
Chairman of the Commission, Dr Musa Adamu Aliyu, SAN, disclosed the figures in Abuja during the ICPC’s End-of-Year Engagement, Send-Forth for retiring staff, and Annual Merit Awards Ceremony. He described 2025 as “a pivotal year marked by substantial progress across enforcement, prevention, and public enlightenment.”
Reviewing operational achievements, Dr Aliyu revealed that ICPC investigated 263 cases, exceeding its target of 250, and filed 61 cases in court, achieving a 55.74% conviction rate.
Among the year’s notable successes was the conviction of Professor Cyril Ndifon of the University of Calabar, who received a five-year prison sentence for offences relating to sexual harassment and cyberbullying. Dr Aliyu noted that this judgment sent a strong signal of the Commission’s resolve to confront all forms of abuse of office.
The Chairman highlighted extensive preventive work undertaken across Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs). A total of 344 MDAs were assessed using the Ethics and Integrity Compliance Scorecard, while 66 corruption-monitoring activities and 1,490 project-tracking exercises were carried out nationwide.
Systems Study and Corruption Risk Assessments were also completed in 12 MDAs, designed to reduce structural vulnerabilities to corruption.
On public enlightenment, ICPC reached more than 235,000 Nigerians through 644 sensitisation activities, generated 3.5 million digital engagements, established 86 Anti-Corruption Clubs and Vanguards, and trained 2,707 participants at the ICPC Academy.
The Commission also broadened its partnerships, initiating 15 collaborative activities, while civil society organisations executed 57 complementary engagements.
In a development he described as “historic and worth celebrating, Dr Aliyu announced that ICPC had, for the first time, successfully secured the Cost-of-Living Adjustment (COLA) allowance for its staff. He reaffirmed the Commission’s commitment to improving personnel welfare and strengthening institutional capacity.
The Chairman also commended staff selected for merit awards, noting that the peer-driven nomination process reflected transparency and credibility. Retiring staff were honoured for their dedication, professionalism, and years of national service.
Looking ahead to 2026, Dr Aliyu urged personnel to avoid complacency and poor conduct, calling for “integrity, diligence, professionalism, and unity of purpose” as the Commission advances into a new year.
“Let us recommit ourselves to building a stronger ICPC and contributing more meaningfully to the national anti-corruption agenda,” he said.
In his goodwill message, Mr Victor Muruako, Esq, Chairman of the Fiscal Responsibility Commission (FRC), praised ICPC’s interventions at the local government level and reaffirmed FRC’s readiness to deepen inter-agency collaboration. He said closing the year with such an event provided a meaningful moment to reflect on national progress in fighting corruption.
Also speaking, Ms Souad Osman-Aden, Executive Director of the Coalition for Dialogue on Africa (CoDa), congratulated ICPC on a productive year. Citing the newly refreshed MoU signed earlier in the week, she lauded the Commission’s achievements in asset recovery and combating illicit financial flows.
Similarly, Dr Umar Yakubu, Executive Director of the Centre for Fiscal Transparency and Public Integrity, represented by Mr Victor Agi, commended the ICPC for its partnership on the Accountability and Corruption Prevention Programme for Local Government (ACPP-LG).
He also praised the transparency demonstrated in its asset recovery operations, stating that such openness enhances public trust in governance.
