The Chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), Dr. Musa Adamu Aliyu, has revealed that the Commission uncovered a bank account opened by a foreign national in Nigeria to facilitate payments from Nigerians seeking fraudulent six-week bachelor’s degrees abroad.
Dr. Aliyu disclosed this during a stakeholders’ advocacy forum on asset tracing, recovery, and management, organized by the Centre for Fiscal Transparency and Public Integrity (CeFTPI) in Abuja. The event was supported by the Inter-Governmental Action Group Against Money Laundering in West Africa (GIABA) and brought together representatives from anti-corruption bodies, law enforcement, the judiciary, civil society, and international development partners.
“In just a few weeks of investigation, we discovered that a foreigner had opened a bank account in Nigeria. Nigerian students were paying into that account in exchange for fake six-week degrees. We successfully tracked the account and secured a civil forfeiture order,” Dr. Aliyu revealed.
He emphasized that efforts are ongoing to ensure the prosecution of all parties involved, particularly those operating from outside Nigeria.
“We are committed to ensuring that even those beyond our shores are held accountable. Tackling transnational corruption requires robust cooperation and coordinated efforts,” he stated.
Dr. Aliyu also used the occasion to draw a connection between modern financial crimes and Africa’s historical struggle with the plundering of its resources.
“We are working on strategies to recover assets hidden outside the continent. Africa has long suffered from illicit financial flows, stretching back to the era of slavery. The theft of our resources didn’t begin today,” he said.
Challenging the global narrative that often blames African nations for corruption, Dr. Aliyu noted that much of the looted wealth is harbored abroad.
“We are often told that Africa is corrupt. But the reality is, we are the victims. The stolen assets end up in foreign countries, yet we are blamed. That is why, at a regional level, we are ramping up our efforts to trace, recover, and repatriate these assets to our continent,” he asserted.
In his welcome remarks, Umar Yakubu, Executive Director of CeFTPI, highlighted the importance of inter-agency collaboration and innovative mechanisms to combat financial crime.
“This event serves as a platform to strengthen accountability, support asset recovery, and promote transparency and citizen engagement,” Yakubu said.
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