Musa Aliyu, chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), stated that the anti-graft agency “recovered and remitted the sum of N10.986 billion in value-added tax (VAT)” to the Federal Inland Revenue (FIRS) within one year.

Aliyu made the statement on Tuesday at the commission’s headquarters in Abuja while marking his first year in office.

He highlighted that the commission also recovered N29.700 billion in cash and N10 billion intended for the production of COVID-19 vaccines. Additionally, he noted that the agency secured the final forfeiture of assets worth N2.5 billion and “foreign currency recoveries of $966,900.83.”

“The commission just completed the tracking of 1,500 projects, valued at N610 billion, nationwide under CEPTI Phase 7,” he said.

“The ICPC, under my stewardship, continues to adapt to evolving trends in fulfilling its mandates, including equipping its workforce with digital strategies to combat corruption. The current administration’s anti-corruption agenda and my policy thrust encapsulated in the acronym ‘CARE’ for impact, have further motivated the commission to enhance its tools, approaches, and engagements.”

The ICPC chairman revealed that 851 petitions were processed during the year, with 342 assigned for investigation, 95 fully investigated, 72 cases filed in court, and 16 convictions secured.

“In this regard, we are streamlining our processes to ensure faster and more effective prosecution of cases, leading to the resuscitation of 10-15-year-old cases in courts,” he said.

“As part of its commitment to institutional accountability, the commission assessed 323 ministries, departments, and agencies (MDAs) through its ethics and integrity compliance scorecard (EICS). It also established 80 anti-corruption and transparency units (ACTUs) across MDAs to reinforce its anti-corruption efforts.

“While doing these, the commission stopped the diversion of public funds to the tune of N5.882 billion. The report of the EICS exercise conducted in the middle of this year is ready and will also be released to the media and the public.”

“In the year under my leadership, the ICPC brought together the 36 states’ attorneys-general under one roof to brainstorm and had robust conversations on developing effective strategies that would enhance the commission’s capacity in the fight against corruption at the sub-national level and within the current justice system.”

“This initiative is yielding results as the regional editions of this engagement, aimed at establishing a community of practice and strengthening capacity for corruption prevention, have since started with the north-west conference of attorneys-general.”

Aliyu acknowledged that while the commission has made significant progress, there is still much work to be done. He noted that in the coming year, the anti-graft agency will focus on improving efficiency, enhancing public engagement, strengthening institutional frameworks, and leveraging technology.

Bolaji Owasanoye, former ICPC chairman, encouraged Aliyu to reflect on his first year in office, identify areas for growth, cultivate resilience, and adopt a forward-thinking approach to tackle future challenges.

The ICPC chairman was commended by the anti-corruption agencies of Zambia, Uganda, and Sierra Leone for his efforts in tackling corruption in Nigeria.

The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has introduced a daily withdrawal limit of N100,000 per customer for point-of-sale (PoS) terminals.

In a circular sent to all deposit money banks (DMBs), microfinance banks, mobile money operators, and super-agents, titled ‘Cash-out limits for agent banking transactions,’ CBN stated that the restriction aligns with the apex bank’s ongoing efforts to promote a cash-less economy.

The circular explained that these measures aim to address identified challenges, combat fraud, and establish uniform operational standards across the industry.

“In view of the above, ALL principals of agents are to comply with the following directives immediately:

i. Issuers shall set a cash withdrawal limit (cash-out) per customer (regardless of channel) to N500,000.00 per week,” the circular reads.

“ii. Ensure that all agent banking terminals are set to a daily maximum transaction cash-out limit of N100,000.00 per customer.

“iii. Ensure that each agent’s daily cumulative cash-out limit shall not exceed N1,200,000.00.

“iv. Ensure that agent banking services are clearly demarcated from merchant activities and that agents apply the approved Agent Code 6010 for agent banking activities.

“v. Ensure that agency banking activities are consummated exclusively through agent float accounts maintained with the principals.

“vi. Monitor accounts associated with the agents’ BVN(S) with a view to identifying agent banking activities which may be conducted outside the designated float account(s).

“vii. Ensure that all agent terminals are connected to a PTSA.

“viii. Ensure that all daily transactions per agent, including withdrawals, limits of transactions and balances in the float accounts of each agent, are sent electronically to NIBSS as a report to the CBN. The template of this report will be sent to principals.”

CBN emphasized that, as outlined in the guidelines for the regulation of agent banking and agent banking relationships in Nigeria, principals would be held fully responsible and liable for all actions and omissions of their agents related to agent banking services.

The apex bank also cautioned that it would carry out oversight activities, including impromptu back-end configuration checks to ensure compliance.

CBN warned that violations of the directives in the circular will result in appropriate penalties, including monetary and/or administrative sanctions.

The “National Bureau of Statistics” (“NBS”) says Nigerians paid N2.23 trillion as ransom in one year between May 2023 and April 2024.

In its latest crime experience and security perception survey report, “NBS” indicated that an estimated 51.89 million crime incidents were recorded across Nigerian households during the period.

The report said the north-west recorded the highest incidences of crime with over 14 million cases, while the south-east has the least with over six million incidents.

The “NBS” report also shows that the crime incidence in the rural area (26,526,069) was higher than that of the urban area (25,360,963).

“Nigeria recorded an estimated 51,887,032 household crime incidents. Disaggregation by zone reveals that the North-West (14,402,254) reported the highest incidences of household crime, followed by the North-Central (8,771,40), while the South-East (6,176,031) reported the least crime incidence,” the report revealed.

“The result also shows that the crime incidence in the rural areas (26,526,069) was higher than that of urban areas (25,360,963).”

“Among households that experienced kidnapping incidents, 65.0 percent paid a ransom. The average amount paid as ransom was N2,670,693, with an estimated total ransom of N2,231,772,563,507 paid within the reference period.”

The report highlighted that 4.14 million households experienced home robbery, but 36.3 percent of the households reported the robberies to the police.

“In Nigeria, 4,142,174 households experienced home robbery. Less than half (36.3 percent) of the households who were victims of home robbery reported their experience to the police,” the “NBS” report added.

“According to this study, the most common reasons for not reporting crimes include lack of confidence in law enforcement and the belief that police intervention would not result in meaningful action.”

“At the individual level, 21.4 percent of Nigerians reported being victims of crime, and the most common crime was phone theft (13.8%).”

“About 90 percent of the victims of phone thefts reported to the police, and only 50 percent of the victims expressed satisfaction with police responses.”