By George Ozalla
The House of Representatives has called for increased funding for the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission following the recovery of N33.16 billion, $1.8 million, and several high-value assets by the anti-corruption agency in 2025.
The demand was made when the Commission appeared before the House Committee on Anti-Corruption to defend its 2026 budget proposal, where lawmakers acknowledged the agency’s performance despite serious financial limitations.
A member of the committee, Abdulmaleek Abdulraheem, said the Commission’s recovery record and prosecution outcomes demonstrated strong productivity, especially in view of the limited funds made available to it. He said an agency capable of returning such significant sums to government should not face reductions in its funding and urged that its budget proposal be strengthened.
Lawmakers also proposed a funding framework that would allow the Commission retain a portion of recovered funds to support its investigative and prosecutorial operations, noting that such a move would enhance operational stability and reduce reliance on delayed budget releases.
Chairman of the Commission, Musa Adamu Aliyu, told the lawmakers that poor funding and delayed releases affected key operations in 2025. He disclosed that only a fraction of approved overhead and capital allocations was released, with some funds made available late in the year. He said the situation disrupted investigations and forced personnel to use personal resources to carry out official duties, including attending court proceedings.
Aliyu further informed the committee that despite the constraints, the Commission filed 72 new cases, secured 36 convictions, and handled hundreds of ongoing prosecutions across the country. He added that the agency received over one thousand petitions during the period, many of which were assigned for investigation, while several cases were concluded.
He warned that further reductions in the Commission’s budget could weaken ongoing enforcement and investigation efforts and appealed to the National Assembly to provide adequate financial support to sustain the fight against corruption.
