Chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), Musa Aliyu has disclosed that 70 percent of Nigerians resisted bribe requests in 2023.
He spoke on Monday during an ICPC roundtable with state attorneys-general in the north-west region, held in Kano.
Aliyu,who highlighted findings from the 2023 Corruption in Nigeria: Patterns and Trends Report by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC),noted the commonness of bribery in the north-west and across the country.
He added:“Bribery is most common in public utilities, law enforcement, and administrative services.However, despite these challenges, the positive news is that 70 percent of Nigerians approached for a bribe in 2023 refused to comply on at least one occasion.
“In the north-west,76 percent of individuals who encountered bribery requests resisted—the highest refusal rate among Nigeria’s geopolitical zones, indicating growing resistance to bribery in the region.”
He emphasized the shared responsibility of state and federal governments in combating corruption, stressing the importance of collaboration to build accountable and transparent systems.
He said:“In this regard, I call on the attorneys-general of the north-west to collaborate closely with ICPC to fortify systems of accountability and transparency that serve the people.
“Under section 6 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission Act, ICPC is empowered to investigate and prosecute corruption across all sectors of public service, but your support and the local knowledge you bring are essential to making this effort more effective.”
He urged continuous encouragement of citizens in the north-west to resist bribery demands and reiterated the ICPC’s commitment to using its authority to combat corruption effectively.
“As chairman of the ICPC, I am committed to ensuring that the commission uses its law enforcement powers and preventive measures, which include enlisting and fostering public support in combating corruption in Nigeria within the confines of the law,” he said.
