AGF pushes for special anti-graft court to tackle high profile corruption cases

The Federal Government is considering the establishment of an International Anti-Corruption Court (IACC), in a bid to tackle high profile corruption cases involving politically exposed persons as well as using it as a paradigm shift in combating corruption at the global level.

This was disclosed by Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), during the 33rd Anti-Corruption Situation Room organised by Human and Environmental Development Agenda (HEDA) Resource Centre, in collaboration with Integrity Initiatives International, held in Abuja on Tuesday.

Fagbemi who was represented at the forum by the Deputy Director, Public Prosecution, Yusuf Abdullahi Abdulkadir, said the “corrosive impact of corruption on Nigeria’s development, stability, and prosperity could not be overstated” and was giving the country a negative image in the international community.

“Nigeria, as a country that has been deeply affected by corruption, could benefit significantly from the establishment of an IACC.

Read also: AGF Fagbemi wants Nigerians to also focus on states in fight against corruption

“Such a court could provide a platform to address cases that involve individuals and assets located abroad, often tied to grand corruption schemes that have a devastating impact on Nigeria’s development efforts.

“It could serve as an additional tool to complement and strengthen the nation’s domestic anti-corruption efforts. The corrosive impact of corruption on Nigeria’s development, stability, and prosperity cannot be overstated,” Fagbemi said.

The AGF who described corruption as a “great threat to the stability, progress, and development of nations around the world”, said the menace was like a cancer that knows no boundaries, undermines trust, weakens institutions, hampers economic growth and perpetuates social injustice.

Chairman of HEDA, Olanrewaju Suraj, who also spoke at the event, lamented that many corrupt people were getting elevated to higher places.

“You can see ministers who are accused of corruption being returned to office.

“Some of them are becoming ministers, some governors who are still standing trial and ministers are now heads of agencies, and quite a number of them are currently at the federal and state levels,” Suraj lamented.

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