ICPC to Publish Recovered Assets, Owners, Status
The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has pledged to publish recovered assets, their status, and owners periodically to promote transparency and accountability.
Prince Hassan Mohamed, Chairman, Local Organising Committee (LOC) of the maiden General Assembly of the African Asset Recovery Practitioners’ Forum (AARP-F), gave the assurance during a pre-conference media briefing in Abuja on Saturday.
Mohamed, also Director of Special Services at ICPC, said that nothing concerning recovered assets was hidden, emphasising that the information would remain accessible to the public.
The assurance comes as 54 countries prepare to converge on Abuja to discuss strategies for preventing the loss of billions of dollars through corruption and illicit financial flows.
He spoke during a question-and-answer session ahead of the assembly, scheduled to hold from Nov. 17 to Nov. 20 in Abuja.
The chairman said the commission would ensure transparency in its asset declaration exercise, adding that recovered assets belonged to the public and should be accounted for.
“Definitely, ICPC will do that. Nothing is hidden. It is a public document. Anything recovered is for the public. And so, ICPC will definitely declare anything and whatever has been recovered,” he said.
Speaking on the conference, Mohamed said the assembly would bring together virtually all African countries to harmonise efforts towards combating corruption, particularly in asset recovery.
“We have virtually all African countries, 52, 54, thereabouts. Yes, they will be attending,” he said.
Mohamed said asset recovery had become an integral part of anti-corruption agencies’ operations worldwide, while the African Union was advancing efforts to ensure recovered assets benefited citizens.
“The purpose of the programme is to harmonise, to synergise, synthesise, come up with strategies, common ways to deal with this menace. Essentially, that is what we are doing,” he said.
On whether Nigeria had figures of recovered assets to present at the assembly, Mohamed said he did not have the relevant information available during the briefing.
“No, at this material time, I don’t have those details for this briefing,” he said.
He lamented that Africa continued to lose resources critical to its development through corruption and illicit financial channels, undermining efforts to improve citizens’ welfare and strengthen institutions.
“Every successfully recovered public asset represents an opportunity to redirect resources towards the needs of citizens, improve public service delivery, strengthen institutions and rebuild confidence in governance systems,” he said.
He emphasised that no single country could tackle transnational financial crimes independently, calling for stronger partnerships, improved information exchange and more effective international cooperation.
Mohamed also urged African governments and stakeholders to ensure that CAPAR became more than a policy document, but a practical instrument guiding national and regional action.
“The message we are taking to Abuja is that Africa must not only demand the return of its stolen assets; it must build the institutional capacity, partnerships and collective determination required to recover them,” he said.
Asked whether any African country was ahead of Nigeria in asset recovery, Mohamed said comparisons were difficult because some countries recovered assets without making the information public.
“Some of these countries recover their assets and you don’t know what they have recovered. We don’t know whether they are doing their recoveries or not.
“But when we meet like this, we have the opportunity to discuss in forums like this what has been recovered,” he said FCCPC to Monitor Petrol Pump Price as Oil Dips Below $90
