ABUJA, Nigeria — President Bola Tinubu’s administration has recovered more than 500 billion Naira (approximately 620 million Dollars) in stolen assets and secured over 7,000 convictions in the past two years, Vice President Kashim Shettima announced Monday, reaffirming the government’s commitment to transparency and impartial justice.
Speaking on behalf of the president at the opening of the 7th EFCC–NJI Capacity-Building Workshop for Judges and Justices in Abuja, Shettima emphasized that no political ally or public official is shielded from prosecution under the current administration.
“There is no person or group who can accuse this administration of shielding political actors on account of their affiliation,” Shettima said. “We have allowed both the judiciary and the anti-corruption agencies to exercise their constitutional and statutory powers to dispense justice and restore sanity.”
The Vice President credited the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) with recovering assets worth over 500 billion Naira and securing thousands of convictions, attributing the success to the agency’s operational independence and the administration’s zero-tolerance stance on corruption.
“These achievements are the result of an enabling environment where anti-graft institutions operate without interference,” he said. “Recovered proceeds of crime are being reinvested into critical sectors, including student loan programs and consumer credit schemes.”
Shettima also highlighted ongoing efforts to strengthen Nigeria’s judiciary, noting improvements in the remuneration and welfare of judicial officers. “We are working within the boundaries of separation of powers to support the judiciary,” he said. “Their welfare is essential to the integrity of our justice system.”
Addressing the role of the courts in the anti-corruption fight, Shettima urged judges to uphold the rule of law with courage and patriotism. “Corruption is no respecter of persons,” he warned. “Judges, like every other citizen, face the same risks that stem from decades of theft and wastage of the nation’s resources.”
He called for deeper collaboration between the executive, legislature, and judiciary to reinforce Nigeria’s anti-corruption framework, insisting that justice and transparency are vital to national progress.
“A Nigeria free of corruption is possible,” Shettima concluded. “But it requires collective commitment and a robust judicial system that ensures no one who deviates from the law goes unpunished.”
The workshop, jointly organized by the EFCC and the National Judicial Institute, aims to enhance judicial capacity in handling financial crimes and strengthen institutional synergy in Nigeria’s anti-corruption efforts.
