17th April, 2024
By Taiwo Okanlawon
The Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo has expressed concern that corruption is escalating insecurity in Nigeria, urging concerned agencies to join hands to fight the menace.
The minister said this, when he paid a courtesy visit to Dr Musa Aliyu, SAN, the Chairman of Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), on Tuesday in Abuja.
The minister said he was at the ICPC headquarters to seek collaborative ways of tackling crime in the country.
While recognizing the critical role of capacity building, the minister highlighted the need for knowledge transfer in tandem with the ICPC.
He said across the world, governments are steps ahead of criminals, adding that Nigeria could no longer afford to play catch-up in combating crime.
“We need to collaborate and build the capacity of our personnel. That way we would be able to block loopholes within our administrative sphere.
“The marriage between the ICPC and the Ministry of Interior has to do with the security of Nigerians,” the minister said, after he emerged from a closed-door session with the ICPC chairman.
Reacting, the ICPC Chairman, Musa Aliyu, acknowledged the Ministry’s vital role in Nigeria and affirmed unwavering support towards shared objectives, stressing the need for the deployment of technology in the anti-corruption campaign.
Aliyu promised to follow through with the Commission’s mandate of combating graft, adding that the twin problems of insecurity and corruption are a hindrance to investment.