HEDA to Protest at EFCC, ICPC Over Abandoned ‘High Profile’ Corruption Cases

Anti-corruption civil society organisation, Human and Environmental Development Agenda (HEDA), has announced plans to organise a protest at the Lagos offices of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC).

In a statement issued by the chairman of HEDA, Olanrewaju Suraju, the organisation revealed the protest was aimed at spurring Nigeria’s anti-graft agencies to investigate corruption cases, particularly those involving high profile individuals and politically exposed persons (PEPs).

Suraju said the protest would help remind the agencies of their responsibilities and core mandates.

“HEDA had previously unveiled a compendium titled “Impunity Galore: A Chronicle of Some Unresolved High-Profile Corruption Cases in Nigeria from 1999 – 2022.

“The compendium highlights cases of national importance that have been ignored or poorly investigated by the anti-graft agencies and the national assembly ad-hoc and joint committees responsible for investigating allegations of corruption.

“According to the compendium, the mentioned cases involve a staggering total amount of over $825 billion.

“It is evident that if these funds had been utilized judiciously, Nigeria could have made significant strides towards becoming a developed nation with modern infrastructure, social support systems, and improved living conditions for its citizens.

“Against this backdrop, HEDA has decided to organize the protest as a step towards drawing attention once again to the issue of corruption and the unresolved corruption cases in Nigeria, demanding immediate action.

“The group firmly believes that this proactive approach is essential in curbing corruption and restoring public trust in the fight against corruption,” the statement read.

The agency, however, did not specify the dates and time the protest would hold.