Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission
ICPC
About
The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) is a Nigerian federal agency. It receives and investigates reports of corruption and, where appropriate, prosecutes offenders. It also examines and reviews public bodies' systems and procedures that are prone to corruption, with the aim of eliminating corruption in public life. The commission also educates and informs the public about corruption and related offences, seeking to build public support for the fight against corruption. Its work is governed by the Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences Act 2000. It focuses on corruption in the public sector, particularly bribery, gratification, graft, and abuse or misuse of office.
History
The ICPC was inaugurated on 29 September 2000 following the recommendation of President Olusegun Obasanjo. In 2003 the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) was established as a separate law enforcement agency to investigate financial crimes, and tensions over overlapping functions between the two commissions were later reported. In June 2009 the Senate Committee on Drugs, Narcotics and Anti-Corruption moved to amend the Acts setting up the ICPC and the EFCC to guarantee their independence from the executive, and a merger of the two agencies was also considered. In its early years the ICPC received 942 petitions and prosecuted a number of prominent Nigerians, though it was later criticised for a lack of major convictions, which was blamed in part on underfunding and on its lack of authority to investigate pre-2000 corruption.
Key Facts
Established
29 September 2000
Chairman
Justice Emmanuel Ayoola
Abbreviation
ICPC