ANTI-GRAFT WAR: TINUBU, ICPC BOSS WARN RESOURCE THEFT FUELS INSECURITY ........ICPC Demands 'Unified, Harmonized' West African Strategy for Asset Recovers

The fight against corruption in West Africa reached a critical inflection point on Tuesday as Nigeria's top leaders delivered stern warnings, linking resource theft and illicit financial flows directly to the region's spiraling insecurity. 

Speaking at the 7th Annual General Assembly (AGA) of the Network of Anti-Corruption Institutions in West Africa (NACIWA) in Abuja, the Chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), Dr. Musa Adamu Aliyu, SAN, called for an "intensified and coordinated regional approach" to asset recovery, driven by mutual trust and operational synergy.

In a powerful keynote address delivered by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Senator George Akume, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu described asset recovery as the "central pillar" for reclaiming West Africa's economic vitality.

The President lamented that the region's development has been "blighted by corruption" and issued a clear warning:

 "Illicit outflows, resource theft, and the smuggling of mineral wealth continue to fuel insecurity, proliferation of small arms, kidnapping, and banditry, which collectively undermine regional stability and development."

President Tinubu urged the Assembly to develop a new framework to strengthen anti-corruption efforts, emphasizing that the recovery of stolen assets is a necessary step to stop these criminal activities from worsening the security outlook.

Dr. Aliyu, addressing the gathering on the theme "A United ECOWAS Against Corruption: Strengthening Regional Collaboration for Asset Recovery and Exchange of Information," stressed that individual countries cannot win the war alone.

"Asset recovery is most effective when driven by regional and international cooperation anchored on mutual trust, legal reciprocity, and operational synergy among anti-corruption agencies," Dr. Aliyu stated.

He called for a "unified, harmonized regional approach" to swiftly track illicit gains and prevent them from being reinvested within the ECOWAS sub-region, noting that despite ICPC's significant domestic recoveries through forfeiture mechanisms, the scale of illicit financial flows demands robust cooperation.

The NACIWA AGA, which serves as a platform for strategic planning among member states, brought together heads of anti-corruption agencies, Attorneys-General, and delegates from across the subregion, including the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Prince Lateef Fagbemi, SAN.

Barr. Ola Olukayode, the Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and President of NACIWA, noted that the Assembly is vital for enabling member states to "assess progress and chart new directions for collaboration" in the transnational fight against corruption.