ICPC: 70% of Nigerians refused to pay bribes in 2023
No fewer than 70 per cent of Nigerians approached for a bribe in 2023 refused to comply, the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has said.
The chairman of the Commission, Musa Aliyu made this known in a statement on Monday during an ICPC roundtable with state attorneys-general in the north-west region, held in Kano, the event focused on enhancing the commission’s capacity for corruption prevention.
Aliyu while highlighting findings from the 2023 Corruption in Nigeria: Patterns and Trends Report by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), noted the prevalence of bribery in the north-west and across the country.
“Bribery is most common in public utilities, law enforcement, and administrative services.
“However, despite these challenges, the positive news is that 70 per cent of Nigerians approached for a bribe in 2023 refused to comply on at least one occasion.
“In the north-west, 76 per cent of individuals who encountered bribery requests resisted—the highest refusal rate among Nigeria’s geopolitical zones, indicating growing resistance to bribery in the region,” he said.
The ICPC boss also stressed the shared responsibility of state and federal governments in combating corruption, stressing the importance of collaboration to build accountable and transparent systems while urging the citizens in the north-west to resist bribery demands, reiterating the ICPC’s commitment to using its authority to combat corruption effectively.
Source: DAILY POST
