CCB probes former ministers, top govt officials over corruption

Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB) has intensified Nigeria’s anti-corruption drive, confirming that former ministers, serving top government officials and other senior public office holders are currently under investigation.

The Chairman of the Bureau, Dr. Abubakar Bello, disclosed this on Sunday during an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja, insisting that no category of public office holders is shielded from scrutiny.

“We have started investigating high-profile individuals. There is a former minister we have already taken to court,” Bello said.

“Right now, we are investigating another former minister and also a serving top government official.”

He, however, declined to mention names, explaining that investigations must be allowed to run their full course.

“I won’t mention names because we are still at the investigation stage. We don’t want to turn it into a media trial,” he added.

Bello revealed that the Bureau has also secured interim forfeiture orders from courts in cases involving local government chairmen and senior state officials, noting that investigations have already led to recoveries.

Reacting to claims that Nigeria’s anti-corruption war targets only low-level offenders while protecting politically exposed persons, the CCB chairman dismissed the allegation as unfounded.

“Ministers, senior government officials and other high-profile individuals are currently under investigation,” he said, stressing that the Bureau’s actions are guided strictly by law and due process, not public pressure or political interests.

Defending the Bureau’s cautious approach to publicity, Bello warned against rushing to condemn individuals before facts are established.

“From my experience working with the EFCC, sometimes people write frivolous petitions,” he said.

“Once the media starts reporting it, the person is already labeled corrupt. But, if investigations later show he is innocent, his name is already damaged. That is why we only speak when we are ready to go to court.”

According to Bello, asset declaration remains the cornerstone of the Bureau’s work.

“Every public officer is required to declare assets at the beginning and at the end of their tenure. It is within this window that corruption is detected,” he explained.

“If you declare your assets at the beginning of your tenure and we verify it, we don’t have any issue with you again until the end of your tenure. But if at the end of your tenure you suddenly move from ₦10 million to ₦200 million and you cannot explain the source of that increase, that is where we come in.”

He added that investigations are not limited to asset comparisons alone, noting that the Bureau also acts on petitions and allegations from members of the public and public servants.

“If there is a petition against you, we investigate. If we find that you did not declare your assets or cannot explain the source of your income, we will take you to court,” Bello said.

Addressing concerns over Nigeria’s low anti-corruption rating, the CCB boss pointed to challenges such as limited manpower, funding and reliance on manual processes. “We are talking about 4.5 million public servants in Nigeria. We cannot investigate or verify all of them with the resources,” he said.

To overcome this, Bello explained that the Bureau has adopted a risk-based strategy.

“We focus our limited resources on high-risk and high-profile individuals where the impact would be greatest. That is why it may look like we are selective, but it is not about protecting anyone.”

He expressed optimism that the planned transition to an online asset declaration system would significantly boost efficiency, verification and successful prosecution of corruption cases.

NAN