Corruption investigators need public support, says HEDA as officials speak on threats

Uyo Human rights and community based groups in  Uyo, the Akwa Ibom State capital on Wednesday called for public support for anti-graft agencies fighting to track down shady public and private  officials, a task that has seen some investigators killed or faced with  death threats.

The groups spoke at the Evaluation of Review of Impacts of Tracing and  Recovery of illicit Funds and Assets on Beneficiaries held in the  ancient city. Representatives of the anti-corruption groups spoke on  various threats faced by anti-corruption detectives including threats of  deaths and kidnapping issued to them and their relations.

The event was organized by the Human and Environmental Rights Agenda  (HEDA Resource Centre) with the support of MacArthur Foundation, Open  Society Foundation (OSF/OSIWA), TUGAR, National Orientation Agency (NOA)  and PTCIJ.

The programme was attended by several Community based organisations,  civil society, media, and labour.

Participants also spoke extensively on how various HEDA trainings across  the country have strengthened their capacity to track stolen funds and  illicit assets.

Nigerians were also urged to show solidarity with corruption detectives  adding that the success of their actions is crucial to lifting Nigeria  from misery and poverty.

The Chairman, HEDA Resource Centre, Mr. Olanrewaju Suraju, said Nigeria  has made progress in the anti-corruption campaign. He argued that not only at the local level have assets been recovered,  but also internationally.

“Nigeria is now like a shining light for Africa in the recovery of  stolen assets. Nigeria started the process of engaging the Federal  Bureau of Investigation, (FBI) which has led to the recovery of huge  stolen funds from abroad and arrest of Cyber criminals” Suraju said.

The participants said the human rights community is happy about how EFCC  has increased pressure on the United Kingdom to repatriate Allison  Madueke, the former Petroleum Minister, believed to have stolen billions  of dollars of public funds. They went a step further to congratulate Mr.  Ibrahim Magu on his recognition by FBI for his achievements in fighting
cyber crimes.

At the technical session, officials of EFCC, ICPC and the Code of  Conduct Bureau, (CCB) shared gory experiences of threats and  intimidation suffered in the cause of investigating corruption related  cases. The officials who wanted not to be named complained that
politically exposed persons often threaten to eliminate corruption  investigators. There have been reports of anti-corruption officials  killed by suspected agents of corrupt persons.

Other hurdles listed by the officials include the long process  associated with the trial sessions aided by judicial bureaucracy and  inadequate data making it difficult to trace stolen assets and political  influences by elected officials.

“We are frustrated by the judiciary, corrupt judges, lawyers and a civil  service network that is noted for bad record keeping and stiff neck  compliance with requests from anti-graft agencies”, an official from one  of the anti-corruption groups stated.

HEDA Executive Secretary Mr Sulaimon Arigbabu said Nigerians should  collaborate with anti-graft agencies adding that public support  automatically provide a form of immunity for anti-corruption detectives. Other groups who attended the training were Niger-Delta Budget  Monitoring Group, Nigerian Guild of Investigative Journalism among many  others.