ICPC Seizes 100 Houses Built with Proceeds from Corruption

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Allied Offences Commission (ICPC) said on Wednesday that it had seized more than 100 houses in Abuja suspected to have been acquired with proceeds of corruption.

Alhaji Isa Salami, Commissioner in ICPC, said the houses were seized by the commission within the last four months and that the  commission was also prosecuting Mr. Sunday Ehindero, a former Inspector-General of Police, for allegedly diverting N16 million belonging to the force to his personal use.

Salami, who represented Mr. Ekpo Nta, chairman of ICPC, at a two-day retreat on the Provisions of the Fiscal Responsibility Act, 2007, said the ICPC had published a Law Report which reflected the cases it had prosecuted since 1999.

He said the commission had also embarked on public education and enlightenment on its activities, adding “we have to encourage the public to buy into the war against corruption so that they own it.

“So, we must always capture public sympathy and support for our actions. In this drive we visit schools, where young people are to catch them young and advise them against glorifying corruption.

“We also visit universities, where we have started a system review so that all corruption-prone processes and procedures are reduced to the barest minimum,” Salami said

He assured that similar exercises would be carried out at the seaports and aviation sector, which according to him, are gateways for foreigners to access Nigeria.

“These areas of our economy affect the foreigners’ first impression about us and indirectly affects foreign direct investment in the country which is critical for the growth of our economy,’’ he said.

He said the ICPC would concentrate on aspects of the law to examine persons suspected to be living above their means through the assets they had acquired.