The Independent Corrupt Practices and other related Offences Commission (ICPC) said it recovered N8.7bn in 2016.

Chairman of the commission, Mr. Ekpo Nta, said this in his presentation at a media parley on Monday in Abuja.

He said the funds recovered included, “N6bn frozen in Infrastructure Bank; N698.4m; N292m in  the TSA (Treasury Single Account) Recovery Account; N1.6bn pension fund as well as the N20m from the NSITF(Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund) Multi-Purpose Cooperative Society and others.”

He added, “Out of N698,450,000; N668,593,621.60 was refunded to the Kano State Government from SURE-P (Subsidy Reinvestment and Empowerment Programme) funds; the balance  of the recovery is for the extorted students of the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, and other victims.”

He said N1.69bn includes the pension money paid to the Nigeria Electricity Liability Management beneficiaries and others.

He also said the commission recovered

124 vehicles from public officers in the SURE-P and the Federal Ministry of Water Resources.

He said 40 of the vehicles had been handed over to the ministry of water resources.

Nta said the North Central sent the highest number of petition (782) out of 1,569 petitions received in 2016.

Nta said in 2016, the ICPC filed 70 cases and secured 11 convictions.

“Collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Interior, involving investigation/verification of certificates, is ongoing,” he added.

Nta explained that the ICPC strategies in fighting corruption included enforcement and prevention, stressing that enforcement involved litigation, prosecution and sanction.

“While enforcement is suitable for individual cases of infractions, prevention of corruption through system reforms is the way to go! Justification for this is simple!. Reforms create overall system change and enduring re-orientation in society,” he stated.