FG mulls establishing special anti-graft court —AGF
The Federal Government announced on Tuesday that it is considering the establishment of an International Anti-Corruption Court, calling it a paradigm shift in its approach to combating corruption on a worldwide scale.
According to the government, the negative impact of corruption on Nigeria’s progress, stability, and prosperity cannot be understated.
Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice stated this in his speech delivered in Abuja during the 33rd Anti-Corruption Situation Room organized by Human and Environmental Development Agenda, also known as HEDA Resource Centre, in collaboration with Integrity Initiatives International.
He said, “Nigeria, as a country that has been 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 devastate Nigeria’s development efforts.
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“It could serve as an additional tool to complement and strengthen the nation’s domestic anti-corruption efforts. The corrosive impact of corruption on Nigeria’s development, stability, and prosperity cannot be overstated.”
While describing corruption, in all its ramifications as a great threat to the stability, progress, and development of nations worldwide, the AGF said graft was a cancer that knows no boundaries, undermines trust, weakens institutions, hampers economic growth, and perpetuates social injustice.
The Chairman of HEDA, Olanrewaju Suraj, lamented that “many corrupt people are getting elevated to higher places.”
“You can see ministers 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 said.
