Anti-Corruption Day: Stakeholders link corruption to insecurity

Anti-corruption groups and stakeholders have identified corruption as the major driver of Nigeria’s challenges. They made these assertions on Tuesday while marking the 2025 United Nations International Anti-Corruption Day.

Groups including the Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC), the Centre for Information Technology and Development (CITAD), and Al Habibiyah Islamic Society (AIS) emphasized the urgent need for transparency and accountability.

In a statement, CISLAC Executive Director and Head of TI-Nigeria, Comrade Auwal Musa Rafsanjani, identified corruption as a primary cause of Nigeria’s worsening insecurity, despite massive financial investments in defense.

The organisation called for urgent reforms, including full disclosure of defense procurements, independent audits, strict disciplinary actions for corrupt officers, and improved welfare for security personnel. CISLAC maintained that “no volume of military spending or sophisticated equipment will deliver results if diverted funds, weak oversight, and entrenched impunity continue unchecked.”

Commemorating the day under the theme “United Against Corruption for Development, Peace and Security,” CITAD Executive Director YZ Yau stated that corruption remains a significant threat to Nigeria’s democratic stability. He noted that graft weakens institutions, fuels insecurity, and erodes citizens’ trust.

CITAD emphasized that the fight against corruption must extend to digital governance spaces where regulation is often weak. The center urged the government to implement the Freedom of Information (FOI) Act fully, ensuring that activists, journalists, and whistleblowers are protected from intimidation.

At a press conference, the National Chief Imam of Al Habibiyah Islamic Society (AIS), Imam Fuad Adeyemi, argued that 85 percent of Nigeria’s problems would be resolved if corruption were successfully addressed.

Imam Adeyemi urged religious leaders to serve as moral compasses and called on the media to reinforce their role as society’s watchdog. “Let us remember that the fight against corruption is not a one-day event; it is a continuous one,” he said.

Meanwhile, in Kano, staff of the State Public Complaints and Anti-Corruption Commission (PCACC) demanded that a hazard allowance be incorporated into their monthly pay.

Commission Chairman Sa’idu Yahaya made the request during a public lecture themed “Uniting with Youth Against Corruption.” He described the demand as a “genuine concern,” noting that staff operate under high-risk conditions without special remuneration. He expressed optimism that Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf would favorably consider the request.

Supporting the event, the representative of the State Chief Judge, Justice Jamilu Shehu Yakasai, pledged the judiciary’s support, while the Secretary to the State Government, Farouk Umar Ibrahim, assured the administration’s commitment to accountability.

By Itodo Daniel Sule (Abuja), Ahmad Datti & Salim Umar Ibrahim (Kano)

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