By Nkechi Eze
In a major step toward strengthening Nigeria’s justice system and deepening the fight against corruption, the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) and State Attorneys-General from the six South-West states have agreed to adopt a unified prosecutorial framework and introduce a digital case-tracking system to monitor corruption cases across jurisdictions.
The landmark commitment was made in Akure, Ondo State, as the ICPC concluded its nationwide zonal engagement series with a regional dialogue themed “Institutional Integrity and Regional Cooperation: The Role of Attorneys-General in Advancing a Corruption-Free South-West.”
In an official statement signed by the Director of Public Enlightenment of ICPC, Demola Bakare, the event brought together Attorneys-General from Lagos, Ogun, Oyo, Osun, Ondo, and Ekiti States, alongside senior members of the judiciary, lawmakers, and anti-corruption experts.
Welcoming participants, ICPC Chairman, Dr. Musa Adamu Aliyu, SAN, noted that the South-West engagement marked the final phase of a historic nationwide consultative process that began in Abuja in September 2024 and later held in Kano, Asaba, Ilorin, Enugu, and Maiduguri. He explained that the dialogues were designed to strengthen the rule of law as the most effective tool for preventing corruption and ensuring good governance.
Dr. Aliyu urged the Attorneys-General to remain steadfast as custodians of justice and defenders of Nigeria’s federal principles, especially in light of recent judicial pronouncements on local government autonomy. He further highlighted the Commission’s ongoing grassroots accountability initiative, the Accountability and Corruption Prevention Programme for Local Governments (ACPP-LG) implemented in collaboration with the European Union, International IDEA, the Centre for Fiscal Transparency and Integrity Watch, the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB), the Bureau of Public Procurement, and the Fiscal Responsibility Commission.
The engagement drew strong institutional backing from the National Assembly and the judiciary. Goodwill messages were delivered by the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Anti-Corruption and Financial Crimes, Senator Emmanuel Memga Udende, and the Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Anti-Corruption, Hon. Prince Kayode Moshood Akiolu. Both lawmakers commended ICPC’s strategic leadership in promoting inter-governmental dialogue and pledged legislative support for the resolutions emerging from the zonal consultations.
Representing the Chief Judge of Ondo State, Hon. Justice Aiyedun Olusegun Odusola, the Director-General of the Ondo Multi-Door Courthouse, Dr. Dickson Ogunfuyi, lauded ICPC’s commitment to institutional reform and transparency. He described the engagement as “timely and relevant,” noting that corruption remains both a moral and institutional threat that can only be defeated through sustained integrity and regional cooperation.
Declaring the event open, the Chairman of the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB), Dr. Abdullahi Usman Bello, praised ICPC’s collaborative approach to ethical governance and affirmed the Bureau’s readiness to partner closely with the Commission to enhance compliance with codes of conduct and public integrity standards across all levels of government.
A major highlight of the event was a thought-provoking keynote address by the former Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice of Lagos State, Mr. Moyosore Jubril Onigbanjo, SAN, FCIArb, titled “Politics and the Office of the Attorney-General: Why Independence Matters in the Fight Against Corruption.”
Onigbanjo described the Attorney-General’s office as both “the guardian of legality and a participant in the political process,” emphasizing that its independence is critical to sustaining the integrity of the justice system. Citing Sections 174 and 211 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), he noted that while the law grants wide prosecutorial discretion, institutional safeguards remain weak, leaving the office vulnerable to political interference.
“The fight against corruption is not won only in courtrooms but in the quiet decisions of those entrusted with power,” Onigbanjo stated, calling for statutory and administrative reforms to reinforce autonomy, strengthen transparency, and position the Attorney-General’s office as a moral compass in governance.
The technical session, anchored by the ICPC Chairman, provided an interactive platform for State Attorneys-General to exchange experiences and identify practical solutions to jurisdictional challenges. Discussions covered issues such as overlapping mandates between federal and state anti-corruption agencies, evidentiary gaps in prosecuting politically exposed persons, inter-state coordination failures, and delays in judicial processes.
One Attorney-General recounted a recent case in which poor coordination between states allowed a suspect to evade arrest, a situation the new framework seeks to prevent. Participants unanimously agreed on the need to harmonize prosecutorial procedures, strengthen inter-agency collaboration, and institutionalize preventive mechanisms at the sub-national level.
Mrs. Stella Adegoke, Director of the Civil Advisory Department at the Ondo State Ministry of Justice, who represented the Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Dr. Olukayode Ajulo, SAN, OON, FCIArb, described the resolutions as a turning point for the region. “These commitments represent more than pledges; they are practical tools we will deploy immediately. The digital case-tracking system alone will revolutionize how we monitor corruption prosecutions across state lines,” she said.
At the close of deliberations, the Attorneys-General adopted a comprehensive communiqué outlining strategies for enhanced interstate collaboration, standardized prosecutorial frameworks, intelligence sharing, and capacity building for legal officers.
In his closing remarks, ICPC Chairman, Dr. Musa Adamu Aliyu, SAN, commended the quality of discourse and reaffirmed the Commission’s commitment to implementing the resolutions. He emphasized that partnerships of this nature remain vital to strengthening preventive systems and deepening the culture of accountability across Nigeria’s governance architecture.
“ICPC will continue to build institutional partnerships that promote transparency, accountability, and the rule of law at every level of government,” Dr. Aliyu affirmed, as the engagement closed with a shared commitment to making the South-West a model of institutional integrity in Nigeria’s justice system.
