…Investigation uncovers phantom multi-billion naira properties on CCB form
Nigeria’s top anti-graft chief, Ola Olukoyede, has accused some public officials of engaging in what he described as a new form of corruption, the “anticipatory declaration of assets.”
According to Olukoyede, the practice involves officials listing properties or assets they do not yet own on their Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB) declaration forms, in order to later legitimise wealth acquired through illicit means.
Olukoyede, who is the Executive Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), made the disclosure on Tuesday, 12 August 2025, during the launch of a new virtual tool by the CCB.
He explained that an EFCC investigation had recently exposed the scheme.
“We discovered one of the very big properties valued at over N3 billion that the person declared in the CCB form carried an address different from the actual location of the property,” Olukoyede said.
“We decided to dig further and discovered that the person declared the property when the property was not even in existence.”
He called on the CCB to strengthen its investigative techniques to address the emerging tactic.
The event marked the unveiling of a Virtual Tool on the Code of Conduct for Public Officers, hailed by organisers as a significant stride towards greater transparency and accountability.
The tool, developed in collaboration between the CCB and the Technical Unit on Good Governance and Anti-corruption Reforms (TUGAR), is designed to promote compliance and ethical conduct among public servants.
Prince Lateef Fagbemi, Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, described adherence to standards and ethics as “the bedrock of public service.” He commended the tool as a milestone in deploying technology to encourage “preventive compliance.”
Head of Service, Mrs Didi Esther Walson-Jack, reinforced the point, noting the importance of technology in achieving faster, smarter, and more transparent governance.
“Without conduct and ethics, no reform will last. Ethical governance is not optional,” she said, pointing out the tool’s accessibility and cost-effectiveness.
CCB Chairman Abdullahi Usman Bello added that the platform would serve as an educational resource for public servants, guiding them on the rules and regulations that govern their work, and ensuring they carry out their responsibilities to a high standard while remaining accountable.
