Anti-graft panel tries 72 suspects, EFCC arrests 500 others
From Hendrix Oliomogbe (Benin) and
Mathias Okwe (Abuja)
There may be no hiding place any longer for corrupt officials and perpetrators of the Advance Fee Fraud (419) as the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC) is presently prosecuting about 72 persons while the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has arrested about 500 fraudsters.
Disclosing this yesterday, ICPC's Chairman, Justice Mustapha Akanbi who spoke on the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), expressed hope that with time, Nigeria shall overcome the hydra-headed problem of corruption, which has eaten deep into the fabric of the society.
In the crusade against corruption, the ICPC, he maintained, is ready to sacrifice all sacred cows, which is why some big fish, such as former ministers, a serving minister who was ignominously dismissed, a permanent secretary and two Chief Medical Directors of teaching hospitals are currently being arraigned before a court of law.
He said: "All I know is that before this commission came into being, corruption had become endemic. It had eaten deep into the fabric of the country, but with what we are doing, I do not believe that Nigerians are so foolhardy that they will not realise that it is no longer business as usual."
At a recent conference in Vienna, Austria, Akanbi said that he met the Chairman of Transparency International, which has consistently rated Nigeria as the second most corrupt country in the world and demanded to know the parameters for the assessment.
The ICPC chief, who was speaking on the fourth anniversary of the anti-corruption commission, disagreed with Transparency International's perception, as he wondered whether the agency ever takes into account the political bias of the people who feed them with that notion.
However, he conceded that the rate of corruption was still high. "The level is high. It was very, very high before we came in because Nigerians came to accept corruption as a way of life. Now that we have arrested some people, that in itself has instilled fear into the hearts of people."
Speaking in Abuja yesterday at a seminar on "Advance Fee Fraud and Money Laundering in Nigeria: An Overview," the chairman of the EFCC, Malam Nuhu Ribadu, said the fraudsters were being facilitated by highly placed government officials.
Ribadu, who appraised the Nigerian business environment before and after last year's setting up of the EFCC, also stated that the commission was investigating an Abuja-based civil servant who allegedly own more than 200 houses in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
He said the commission suspects the civil servant of money laundering activities and vowed to confiscate the property if found liable.
Ribadu also revealed that EFCC's seizure of such illegally and fraudulently acquired properties from 419ners and money launderers has amounted to over $500 million.
He said: "The first strategy of EFCC leadership was to insulate the EFCC from corruption. Secondly, with the support of Mr. President, we believe that nobody is above the law. Our message has been very clear on this."
Ribadu continued: "We have demonstrated our resolve and commitment by arresting many previously, untouchable 419 kingpins.
"Presently, we have over 500 suspects in custody, seized asset and recovered property worth over $500 million, with over 100 cases at various stages of prosecution.
"The commission believes that some of the 419 cases are facilitated by highly placed corrupt officials."
He hinted that EFCC was in the process of building a national database on 419 and other related offences for referral purposes as well as identifying and going after designated financial and non-financial institutions such as banks, insurance companies, stock-broking firms, discount houses, finance houses, mortgage institutions telecommunications, postal services, Independent Service Providers (ISPs) cybercafes and bureau de change that facilitate the commission of 419 and other related fraudulent activities.
He added: "Financial and non-financial institutions must tighten their internal control systems to safeguard their institutions/agencies from being used to cheat the public, otherwise they would be held liable."
The EFCC chief said with the passing into law of the EFCC Act 2004, the commission would now carry out speedy trial of cases before it.
He, however, expressed disappointment that while there were over 200 Nigerians serving jail terms for 419 and other related offences all over the world, not even a single person is serving term on the same offence in Nigeria.
This, Ribadu said, was in spite of the existence of the police, State Security Services (SSS), the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), the Independent Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) and the EFCC.
He called for more funding of the commission to enable it carry out its statutory functions, adding that a similar body such as the EFCC in Japan gets at least three per cent of the country's yearly budget while in Nigeria, both EFCC and ICPC share only 0.05 per cent of the budget.
Also speaking at the seminar organised by financial institutions regulatory agencies, the Central Bank (CBN) Governor, Prof. Charles Soludo, said the effect of fraud on the financial sector remains very serious and continues to pose a challenge to the stability of the sector.
Soludo, who was represented at the seminar by his deputy in charge of financial surveillance, Mr. Tunde Lemo, said fraud strikes at the very foundation of banking by eroding trust and confidence.
