The Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB) has launched fresh investigations into corruption allegations involving former ministers, serving top government officials and other senior public office holders across the federal and state levels, signalling a renewed push against high-profile graft.
The CCB Chairman, Dr Abubakar Bello, disclosed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria in Abuja, revealing that at least one former minister has already been dragged before the courts, while others, including a serving senior official, are currently under investigation.
“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 declined to name those involved, insisting that premature disclosure could amount to a media trial and jeopardise due process.
“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 said.
Bello disclosed that the bureau had also secured interim forfeiture orders from the courts and recorded recoveries in cases involving local government chairmen and senior state officials, underscoring what he described as a broad-based anti-corruption drive.
He dismissed allegations that Nigeria’s anti-corruption war targets only low-level offenders while shielding politically exposed persons, stressing that ministers and other powerful officials are firmly within the bureau’s investigative net.
“Our operations are guided strictly by law and due process, not by media pressure or political considerations,” the CCB chairman said.
Explaining the bureau’s cautious approach to public disclosures, Bello warned against reputational damage arising from unproven allegations.
“From my experience working with the EFCC, sometimes people write frivolous petitions. Once the media starts reporting it, the person is already labelled corrupt,” he said. “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.”
Bello identified asset declaration as the cornerstone of the bureau’s work, noting that it provides a clear window for detecting illicit enrichment.
“Every public officer is required to declare assets at the beginning and at the end of their tenure,” he explained. “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, as 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.
On Nigeria’s low anti-corruption rating, the CCB boss attributed the challenge to structural and operational constraints, including limited manpower, inadequate funding and reliance on manual systems.
“With about 4.5 million public servants in Nigeria, we cannot investigate or verify everyone with the resources available,” he said.
According to him, the bureau has adopted a risk-based approach, focusing on high-risk and high-profile individuals where interventions would have the greatest impact.
“That is why it may look like we are selective, but it is not about protecting anyone. It is about using scarce resources wisely to get the highest results,” Bello added.
He expressed optimism that the planned transition to an online asset declaration system would significantly boost efficiency, improve verification processes and strengthen prosecutions.
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