By George Ozalla
The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has called on state attorneys-general in the North-East to strengthen institutional integrity and deepen regional cooperation in the fight against corruption. ICPC Chairman, Dr. Musa Adamu Aliyu, made this call during a roundtable engagement with state attorneys-general in Maiduguri, Borno State.
The roundtable, themed “Institutional Integrity and Regional Cooperation: The Role of Attorneys-General in Advancing a Corruption-Free North-East,” aimed to promote integrity and regional cooperation in the fight against corruption. Aliyu emphasized that corruption undermines economies, fuels insecurity, and erodes public trust, stressing that only a united approach between federal and state governments can effectively address the scourge.
Senator Kaka Shehu Lawan, SAN, highlighted the necessity of collaboration between state attorneys-general and the ICPC, describing their partnership as a “strategic imperative” that guarantees faster investigations, stronger prosecutions, and more effective preventive measures.
The ICPC chairman emphasized the need for a combined approach, including recovering stolen assets, restoring justice to victims, strengthening systems, and working together across institutions and regions. The communiqué highlighted the importance of capacity building for prosecutors and investigators, particularly in modern tools such as data-driven risk management, cybersecurity, and forensic technology.
The need for active public participation was also emphasized, using community leaders, civil society, and the media to communicate anti-corruption messages in local languages at the grassroots level. The engagement concluded with a communiqué reaffirming the participants’ commitment to anti-corruption in the North-East and resolving to formalize the partnership through a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), strengthening preventive mechanisms, and establishing a joint intelligence-sharing and case management framework.
