The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has announced the successful recovery of over ₦5.3 billion following a comprehensive forensic review of local government accounts spanning seven states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

The sweeping financial audit underscores deep-seated administrative irregularities at the grassroots level and highlights the commission’s aggressive stance on safeguarding public funds following the landmark Supreme Court judgment that affirmed full financial autonomy for local government councils.

Speaking during the official flag-off of the ICPC-National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) Local Government Websites Pilot in Lafia, Nasarawa State, ICPC Chairman Dr. Musa Adamu Aliyu revealed that the recovered billions represent misappropriated or improperly accounted council funds.

To curb future financial infractions and enforce absolute transparency, the anti-graft agency is collaborating with NITDA to mandate all 774 local government councils in Nigeria to publish their budgets, statutory allocations, revenue profiles, expenditures, and procurement records online. The pilot digital transparency initiative in Nasarawa State serves as the baseline for a nationwide rollout designed to empower ordinary citizens, journalists, and oversight institutions to monitor public spending and eliminate corrupt practices at the grassroots tier of governance.