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Ribadu, 100 Others Seek Int’l Anti-Corruption Court
The pioneer chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Nuhu Ribadu, and other global anti-graft advocates have called for the creation of an International Anti-Corruption Court (IACC).
The former EFCC chairman was among the over 100 world figures, including former heads of states and governments, former government and intergovernmental officials, and representatives of civil society, governments, business, and faith, who have signed a declaration for the establishment of the IAAC to tackle high-level corruption in governments.
The Integrity Initiative International (III), an international non-governmental organisation fighting “grand corruption”, which pulled the signatories together from over 40 countries, announced the signing of the declaration on its website visited, yesterday.
“We know that grand corruption – the abuse of public office for private gain by a nation’s leaders (kleptocrats) – thrives in many countries and has devastating consequences,” the group stated as part of the reasons for its call for the establishment of the IAAC.
It added that grand corruption continues to flourish despite the existing laws that are in place to check it, noting that the menace thrives not due to insufficient laws.
“The 187 countries that are party to the United Nations Convention Against Corruption (“UNCAC”) each have laws criminalizing corrupt conduct. Yet, kleptocrats enjoy impunity because they control the administration of justice in the countries that they rule,” the group said.
The group, which says it is dedicated to promoting human rights, human health, and international peace and security, noted that kleptocrats corruptly enrich themselves from the trillions of dollars being spent to promote global public health and counter climate change.
“Kleptocrats are robbing their countries of funds needed to meet the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals,” the III said, adding that “Grand Corruption undermines democracy as kleptocrats use their power to suppress the media and civil society, and subvert honest elections.”
It is also of the view that because grand corruption “has global consequences and often cannot be combated by the country’s most immediately victimised by kleptocrats, a new international institution – an International Anti-Corruption Court – is necessary and justified.”
The group said the IAAC should have jurisdiction “to prosecute violations of existing domestic anti-corruption laws, or a new international counterpart of them, by kleptocrats and their collaborators, if the country the kleptocrat rules is unwilling or unable to prosecute a case itself.”
It said the court should also have the authority to prosecute crimes committed by nationals of Member States, and by nationals of other states who commit crimes in the territory of a Member State.
“The IACC should be a court of last resort with the capacity to prosecute and imprison kleptocrats, and thus create opportunities for the democratic process to replace them with honest leaders,” it said.
The group added that the court should have “the authority to recover, repatriate, and repurpose illicit assets for the victims of Grand Corruption” in civil as well as criminal cases.
Some former heads of state and government, who signed the declaration alongside Ribadu, are former prime minister and former foreign minister of Sweden, Carl Bildt; former President of Tunisia, Moncef Marzouki; former President of Bulgaria, Rosen Plevneliev; and former President of Colombia and Nobel Laureate, Juan Manuel Santos.
Others include former prime minister and former chairman of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Haris Silajdžiæ; and former President of Slovenia, Danilo Türk.
Ribadu, the pioneer head of EFCC, Nigeria’s flagship anti-corruption agency, from 2003 to 2007, falls into the category of the signatories who were former government and inter-governmental organisation officials.
He is the only Nigerian on the list of over 100 signatories from 40 countries.
Other countries with representatives among the signatories include Afghanistan, Argentina, Australia, Bolivia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, France, Germany, Guatemala, Italy, India, Indonesia, Iran, Jordan, Kenya, and North Macedonia.
Others are, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Singapore, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Tanzania, Ukraine, United Kingdom, United States, Venezuela, Angola, Equatorial Guinea, Malta, Mexico, Philippines, and Republic of the Congo, Russia, and Zimbabwe.
The issue of public sector graft is commonly associated with developing countries where opaque public institutions that often oversee large and lucrative infrastructure or natural resource projects create conducive conditions to pay out bribes.
President Muhammadu Buhari, who has been in office for six years, suggested the creation of a special court to fight corruption in an interview, last Friday.
“Special courts are very important especially in the case of corruption,” the president said in the interview he granted with NTA, aired, last Friday.
Nigeria is among developing countries that perform poorly in the yearly Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI), an index published annually by Berlin-based Transparency International since 1995 which ranks countries by their perceived levels of public sector corruption, as determined by expert assessments and opinion surveys.
Nigeria slumped to 149 (out of 180) on Transparency International’s 2020 CPI, scoring 25 points out of 100.
The ranking placed Nigeria as West Africa’s most corrupt country after Guinea-Bissau.
In 2019, Nigeria was ranked 146th, with a total score of 26 (out of 100).
In 2018 and 2017, the country maintained a CPI score of 27, ranking 144 and 148 respectively.
A total of 180 nations are usually ranked from 0 to 100.
While zero indicates the participating country is ‘highly corrupt,’ 100 signifies the highest level of transparency – ‘very clean.’a
The Organised Labour yesterday, called on the Federal Government to ensure inclusiveness in policy making and guide against erosion of rights, such as free speech and association.
The President, Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Mr Joe Ajaero made the call at the 2025 Workers’ Day celebration held at the Eagle’s Square, Abuja.
The Tide source reports Ajaero and the President, Trade Union Congress, Mr Festus Osifo delivered a joint statement on behalf of the organised labour at the event.
Ajaero described May Day as, not only a moment to honour workers’ sacrifices, but also a platform to demand justice and accountability from those in public office.
He frowned at the alleged suppression of protests, and the erosion of rights of workers by some agents
According to him, workers have a duty to resist economic injustice, insecurity, and policies that undermine their dignity.
Speaking on the theme of the day, the NLC President underscored the need for Nigerian workers to reclaim the civic space and resist policies that contribute to worsening economic conditions.
“Our theme this year – “Reclaiming the Civic Space in the midst of Economic Hardship – reflects the urgent need for citizens to protect democracy and push back against repression.
“The civic space, where Nigerians express their concerns and challenge injustices is shrinking.
“If we fail to reclaim this space, the foundation of our democracy risks collapse,” he said
Ajaero, therefore, urged workers to unite and resist division, fear, and despair.
He also urged them to mobilise and organise for change, declaring that the right to demand better conditions is non-negotiable.
“Without workers, there is no society; without labour, there is no development. We must take our place in the fight for economic justice and democratic governance.”
Speaking in the same veins, Osifo said workers are the backbone of the nation—the educators, healthcare providers, builders, farmers, and innovators who sustain its economy -.
He stressed the need for the labour to reclaim the civic space even in the midst of economic hardship.
The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has disassociated itself from a fraudulent site requesting payments from candidates who missed the ongoing 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME).
The board said that the site, “Copyrightwriter Personal J Rescheduling Flw” and account number 8520641017 at Sterling Bank, associated with it, are scam.
The disclaimer is contained in a statement made available to newsmen in Abuja on Thursday by the Board’s Public Communication Advisor, Dr Fabian Benjamin.
Benjamin said the account is being exploited to defraud unsuspecting candidates who missed their UTME.
“We issue this urgent notice to inform the public about this nefarious scheme targeting candidates who were unable to participate in the UTME.
“Some unscrupulous individuals are deceitfully soliciting payments of N15,700 under the false pretence of offering rescheduling services for the examination.
“Let us be unequivocal: this, it is a blatant scam, and we are confident that the public will not fall prey to such cheap and regressive tactics.
” The individuals behind this scam have no affiliation with JAMB or any legitimate government agency.
“The account details provided in these communications are entirely fictitious and bear no connection to any official processes; they exist solely for the purpose of perpetrating fraud,” he said.
Benjamin called on Sterling bank to take immediate and decisive action against this criminal activity.
According to him, JAMB has reported the matter to the relevant security agencies and actively pursuing those responsible for this deceitful act.
He further said that “JAMB does not reschedule examinations for candidates who miss their scheduled tests due to reasons unrelated to the Board’s actions”.
He, however, said that the Board is conducting a thorough investigation for candidates whose biometrics failed during verification and were thus unable to sit for the examination.
He said those without discrepancies would be invited to retake the examination at no cost , stressing that “no cost is required”
“It is imperative to understand that JAMB does not charge any fees for examinations after a candidate has completed their registration.
“We strongly urge all candidates to remain vigilant and not to succumb to these fraudulent schemes.
“Protect yourselves and report any suspicious activity immediately,” he explained.
The Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) has expressed its willingness to partner with the United Nations (UN) to accelerate the development of the Niger Delta region.
Dr Samual Ogbuku, Managing Director of the NDDC, made the appeal in a statement issued by the commission’s Director of Corporate Affairs, Mrs Seledi Thompson-Wakama, in Port Harcourt on yesterday.
According to the statement, Ogbuku sought the UN’s support during his visit to the UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator (UNRHC), Mr Mohammed Fall, at the UN regional office in Abuja.
He called on the global body to provide the NDDC with technical assistance and expert services to support the region’s development.
“We are eager to collaborate with the UN, recognising that the state governments in the region and the NDDC alone cannot achieve the level of regional development required,” he said.
Ogbuku identified key areas where support would be needed, including the provision of portable and affordable drinking water powered by high-tech solar energy sources.
He also highlighted the importance of reforesting the mangrove swamps, which have been severely damaged by decades of environmental degradation caused by oil exploration in the Niger Delta.
“Although the NDDC has made progress in providing solar-powered streetlights across the region, we still require UN support in delivering solar energy solutions for residential buildings.
“We also wish to explore the possibility of installing solar mini-grids in homes across communities, which would boost local commerce and trade,” he added.
The NDDC managing director further appealed for increased UN involvement in areas such as healthcare, education, youth training, gender development, and food security.
Ogunku stated that such interventions would significantly enhance the standard of living in the region.
In response, Fall affirmed the UN’s readiness to collaborate with the NDDC to fast track development in the Niger Delta.
He assured that the UN would support initiatives in food security, job creation, education, and renewable energy, among other areas.
“We aim to approach development in the Niger Delta holistically, rather than focusing solely on environmental pollution.
“This is merely an entry point; however, the UN’s development vision aligns with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which are designed to positively impact various aspects of people’s lives,” Fall stated.
He assured the NDDC of continued and fruitful engagements to drive the region’s development.