Damning Report Reveals Nigerians Paid N721 Billion in Bribes in 2023

A new report from the National Bureau of Statistics, in collaboration with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, has revealed that Nigerians paid a staggering N721 billion ($1.26 billion) in cash bribes to public officials in 2023. The report, titled “Corruption in Nigeria: Patterns and Trends,” highlights the widespread nature of bribery in the country. On average, each cash bribe amounted to N8,284, up from N5,754 in 2019. Judges topped the list of bribe recipients, with an average bribe of N31,000. Customs and Immigration officials followed with N17,800, while members of the armed forces received N16,600 per bribe. Land registry officials and police officers received N11,700 and N10,400, respectively. The findings also showed that 46% of public officials admitted to offering bribes to secure their employment. This figure is 1.5 times higher than that reported in 2019. Additionally, six out of ten successful candidates in the public sector confessed to using nepotism or bribery to enhance their recruitment chances. The police were identified as the most prevalent in requesting bribes, with 9% of individuals who interacted with police officials reporting such demands. Nurses and doctors followed at 4%, teachers and lecturers at 3%, and public utility officials at 6%. Contact with Federal Road Safety Corps officials and vehicle inspection officers also resulted in bribe requests at rates of 4% and 2%, respectively. The report also noted that individuals with higher education levels were more likely to pay bribes than those with no formal education.

Why I Turned Down ₦250 Million Bribe For Third Term Agenda – Ex-Senate President, Wabara

A former Senate President, Adolphus Wabara, in an interview released on Monday on the YouTube series, Untold Stories with Adesuwa, reiterated his previous claims of rejecting a ₦250 million bribe intended to secure his support for the controversial third-term agenda of former President Olusegun Obasanjo. During the interview, Wabara emphatically confirmed the bribe offer, stating, “That’s very correct,” when asked about the authenticity of his claims. He recalled the political atmosphere at the time, noting disbelief at rumours that senators were being offered ₦50 million each to back the agenda. Wabara’s rejection of the bribe was part of broader resistance within the Senate against extending Obasanjo’s tenure beyond the constitutionally allowed terms. He underscored the gravity of the situation by suggesting that accepting the bribe could have led to a prolonged dictatorship in Nigeria. “Without people like us, there wouldn’t be democracy now,” Wabara asserted, implying that figures like former President Muhammadu Buhari and incumbent President Bola Tinubu might never have risen to prominence if the third-term bid had succeeded. Addressing misconceptions about his departure from office, Wabara clarified, “First of all, I was not removed by Obasanjo, I resigned,” countering the interviewer’s suggestion about potential pressures leading to his resignation. Wabara also touched on the lingering ethnic tensions affecting the Igbo people, stemming from historical grievances and misunderstandings related to the Biafra War. He lamented, “We have not been forgiven for what we did not cause, the Biafra War. It wasn’t our fault, but the propaganda is that the Igbos can not be trusted.”