Sh*ckwaves In Politics: CCB Probes Former Ministers And Top Officials

The Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB) has revealed that several former ministers, current senior government officials, and public office holders at both federal and state levels are under investigation.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶

CCB Chairman, Dr. Abubakar Bello, made this disclosure during an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Sunday in Abuja.

He, however, declined to name those under investigation to prevent a media trial.

Dr. Bello emphasized that the bureau operates apolitically and that no one is above the law.

“We have begun investigating high-profile individuals. A former minister has already been taken to court. Currently, we are investigating another former minister and a serving top government official. I cannot disclose names because we are still in the investigative stage. We want to avoid turning this into a media trial,” he said.

Bello added that the bureau has already obtained interim forfeiture orders from the courts against some of those under investigation.

He explained that the CCB prefers to operate away from media attention to avoid public condemnation before evidence is established.

“From my experience at the EFCC, frivolous petitions are often submitted. Once the media reports it, the individual is immediately labeled corrupt. If investigations later prove them innocent, the damage to their reputation is already done. That is why we only speak publicly when we are ready to go to court,” he said.

According to Dr. Bello, asset declaration remains central to the bureau’s work.

“Every public officer must declare assets at the beginning and end of their tenure. It is through this process that corruption can be detected. If a person declares assets at the start of their tenure and it checks out, we usually have no issues until the end of their tenure. But if their wealth suddenly increases from ₦10 million to ₦200 million without a clear explanation, that is when we intervene,” he explained.

He also noted that CCB investigations are not limited to asset checks but include probing petitions and allegations against public servants and members of the public.

“If there is a petition against you, we investigate. If you have failed to declare your assets or cannot explain the source of your income, we will take you to court,” he added.

Dr. Bello acknowledged that the bureau faces structural and operational challenges, including limited manpower, funding constraints, and reliance on manual systems. Nevertheless, he reaffirmed the CCB’s commitment to fighting corruption.

“With over 4.5 million public servants in Nigeria, we cannot investigate or verify all of them with our current resources. Therefore, we adopt a risk-based approach, concentrating on high-risk and high-profile individuals where the impact is greatest. It may appear selective, but this is not about protecting anyone—it is about using scarce resources effectively to achieve meaningful results,” he said.