Federal Government Releases Funds For EFCC, ICPC To Try Ex-Governors

The Federal Government has discretely released some funds to the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to boost their operational capacities in a bid to step up its anti-corruption war.

President Muhammadu Buhari who approved the release of the funds to the anti-graft agencies has ordered the re- opening of some corruption cases pending in the courts since 2007.

The funds, according to New Telegraph, were meant primarily to enable the two anti-agencies to carry out diligent prosecution of cases involving some state governors who have been indicted for corruption.

Buhari, upon assumption of office three months ago, had received briefings from the antigraft agencies where the heads of ICPC and EFCC blamed paucity of funds for the slow pace of their operations and inability to secure convictions on high profile cases.


A source at the EFCC told the newspaper that the President had then ordered the anti-graft agencies to set up a special committee to review the various cases that have either been hitherto declared closed or just lying fallow.

The anti-graft agencies have beamed the searchlight on many former governors, since the inception of the Buhari administration.

“I cannot tell you how much has been released but it is true that our capacity has been boosted. The committee is already working. It is the reason you have seen some actions from us in recent times. But we have not started massive invitation of these high-profile individuals because we want to build up very tight cases against them such that it would be difficult for them to escape,” the source told the national daily.