The President Bola Tinubu-led government has announced its contemplation of establishing an International Anti-Corruption Court (IACC) in the coming months.
During the 33rd Anti-Corruption Situation Room organised by the Human and Environmental Development Agenda (HEDA) Resource Centre in collaboration with Integrity Initiatives International, the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), emphasised the critical importance of such a court.
Represented by Deputy Director (Public Prosecution), Yusuf Abdullahi Abdulkadir, Fagbemi stated, “Nigeria, deeply affected by corruption, could benefit significantly from the establishment of an IACC. Such a court could provide a platform to address cases involving individuals and assets located abroad, often tied to grand corruption schemes that have a devastating impact on Nigeria’s development efforts.”
He highlighted that the IACC could serve as an additional tool to complement and strengthen the nation’s domestic anti-corruption efforts. Corruption, Fagbemi noted, posed a grave threat to the stability, progress, and development of nations worldwide.
He described it as a cancer without boundaries, capable of undermining trust, weakening institutions, hampering economic growth, and perpetuating social injustice.
Addressing the gathering, Chairman of HEDA, Olanrewaju Suraj, expressed deep concern about the elevation of corrupt individuals to higher positions within the government.
“You can see ministers who are accused of corruption being returned to office. Some of them are becoming ministers, some governors who are still standing trial and ministers are now heads of agencies, and quite a number of them are currently at the federal and state levels,” he lamented.
