Corruption investigations ongoing against high-profile politicians — Code of Conduct Bureau

The Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB) has confirmed that corruption investigations are currently ongoing against former ministers, serving senior government officials and other high-ranking public office holders at both the federal and state levels.

Chairman of the bureau, Abubakar Bello, disclosed this on Sunday during an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), noting that some of the cases involve individuals wielding significant political influence.

According to Bello, the bureau has already taken at least one former minister to court, while investigations are ongoing against another former minister and a serving top government official.

He explained that the bureau deliberately refrains from naming suspects at the investigation stage to avoid what he described as “media trials”.

He revealed that the CCB has also secured interim forfeiture orders from the courts in several cases and recorded recoveries linked to local government chairmen and senior state officials.

Bello dismissed claims that Nigeria’s anti-corruption efforts only target low-level offenders, insisting that politically exposed persons are not shielded from scrutiny.

The CCB chairman maintained that all investigations are conducted strictly in accordance with the law and without external pressure, stressing that the bureau does not operate based on public sentiment or political considerations.

Explaining the bureau’s cautious approach to publicity, Bello warned that premature media exposure of corruption allegations could permanently damage reputations, even when investigations later prove the accused innocent. Drawing from his experience at the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), he said many petitions received by anti-graft agencies are sometimes frivolous and unsubstantiated.

Bello identified asset declaration as the bureau’s primary tool for detecting corruption among public officers, noting that all officials are required to declare their assets at the beginning and end of their tenure. He explained that unexplained increases in wealth often form the basis for investigations.

“If a public officer declares N10 million at the start of his tenure and suddenly ends with N200 million without a clear source, that is where we step in,” he said.

He added that beyond asset verification, petitions and allegations from members of the public also serve as triggers for investigations.

Responding to Nigeria’s poor showing on global anti-corruption rankings, Bello attributed the challenge to institutional limitations such as inadequate funding, limited manpower and continued reliance on manual systems within anti-graft agencies.

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