We’re investigating ministers, top govt officials for corruption – CCB

The Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB) says it is currently investigating corruption cases involving former ministers, serving senior government officials, and other top public office holders at both federal and state levels.

The chairman of the Bureau, Dr Abubakar Bello, disclosed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Sunday in Abuja.

“We have started investigating high-profile individuals. There is a former minister we have already taken to court.

“Right now, we are investigating another former minister and also a serving top government official.

“I won’t mention names because we are still at the investigation stage. We don’t want to turn it into a media trial,” Bello said.

He added that the bureau had secured interim forfeiture orders from the courts and recorded recoveries from investigations involving local government chairmen and senior state officials.

Bello dismissed claims in some quarters that Nigeria’s anti-corruption efforts focus only on low-level offenders while shielding politically exposed persons, insisting that ministers and other high-profile individuals are also being investigated.

According to him, the bureau’s operations are guided strictly by law and due process, rather than media pressure or political influence.

Explaining the bureau’s cautious approach, Bello warned against public condemnation before investigations are concluded.

“From my experience working with the EFCC, sometimes people write frivolous petitions.

“Once the media starts reporting it, the person is already labeled corrupt.

“But, if investigations later show he is innocent, his name is already damaged. That is why we only speak when we are ready to go to court,” he said.

Bello noted that asset declaration remains the core instrument of the bureau’s mandate.

“Every public officer is required to declare assets at the beginning and at the end of their tenure. It is within this window that corruption is detected.

“If you declare your assets at the beginning of your tenure and we verify it, we don’t have any issue with you again until the end of your tenure.

“But if at the end of your tenure you suddenly move from ₦10 million to ₦200 million and you cannot explain the source of that increase, that is where we come in,” he explained.

He added that investigations are not limited to asset comparisons alone, noting that the bureau also acts on petitions and allegations from members of the public and public servants.

“If there is a petition against you, we investigate.

“If we find that you did not declare your assets or cannot explain the source of your income, we will take you to court,” Bello said.

Addressing concerns over Nigeria’s low anti-corruption ratings, the CCB chairman pointed to structural and operational challenges, including limited manpower, inadequate funding, and reliance on manual processes.

“We are talking about 4.5 million public servants in Nigeria. We cannot investigate or verify all of them with the resources available.

“To manage this, the bureau has adopted a risk-based approach, focusing its limited resources on high-risk and high-profile individuals where the impact would be greatest.

“That is why it may look like we are selective, but it is not about protecting anyone.

“It is about using scarce resources wisely to get the highest results,” he said.

Bello added that the planned transition to an online asset declaration system would significantly enhance efficiency, verification, and prosecution efforts.