The Nigerian government on Wednesday dismissed claims that it has been using anti-corruption agencies to target opposition politicians, insisting the bodies operate independently and without political interference.
Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, said President Bola Tinubu’s administration is strengthening institutions like the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) to pursue graft cases professionally.
“By its policy of non-interference, the Tinubu administration has made it clear that anti-corruption agencies are not instruments of political witch-hunt,” Idris said at the ICPC roundtable engagement with state commissioners of information in Abuja. “They operate with independence and professionalism in line with the rule of law.”
The minister reiterated that corruption would not be tolerated, stressing that Tinubu’s government was implementing judicial reforms to fast-track corruption trials and avoid delays that have long undermined Nigeria’s justice system.
“Fighting corruption is indeed one of the eight-point priorities of the Tinubu administration,” Idris said. “That is why the President is strengthening the institutional framework, especially through the ICPC and EFCC. There will be no haven for corruption in Nigeria.”
He called on state commissioners to embrace the theme of the roundtable “Partnership for Strengthening Transparency and Accountability at State and Local Government Levels Through Strategic Communications” which he said reflects their duty to communicate government policies to citizens.
Idris urged political leaders across party lines to support Tinubu’s “Renewed Hope Agenda,” which he described as a blueprint to drive inclusion, diversification, and growth.
The ICPC chairman, Musa Adamu Aliyu, was commended for advancing grassroots communication strategies aimed at mobilising stakeholders in the fight against corruption.
