THE Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) says it has recovered over 200 properties including plazas, bungalows and mansions from suspected corrupt individuals in the last eight months.

The Chairman of the Commission, Prof. Bolaji Owasanoye, disclosed this when he met with the management of the Nigerian Institute of Advanced Legal Studies (NIALS).

Spokesperson for the Commission, Mrs Rasheedat Okoduwa, said this in a statement in Abuja

She quoted the commission’s chairman as saying that ICPC was on course of recovering additional 100 properties to take the number of recovered properties to 300 before the end of the year.

Owasanoye said that the Commission was working with the Federal Ministry of Works, to map out the properties with a view to ascertaining their value and how best they could be put to use by the Federal Government after final forfeiture.

“ICPC has recovered over 200 assets under my watch. We are working hard to get to 300 before the end of the year.

“Some of these properties are under interim forfeiture, while others are under final forfeiture,” he said

The ICPC boss assured the institute that the commission would work within the confines of the law to render any assistance in terms of providing office accommodation for its staff.

He, however, advised NIALS to seek for ways to develop its permanent office.

Earlier, the Director General of NIALS, Prof. Muhammed Ladan, had pleaded with the Commission to help the agency to secure a temporary office accommodation for its staff.

Ladan said lack of office space for 317 member of its staff who are currently squatting at the Supreme Court Complex for the past 20 years and at the University of Lagos for about 40 years, called for urgent action.

He further appealed to the commission boss to help procure one of the recovered properties as temporary office for its institute, adding that 38 of its staff use the supreme court basement which was not comfortable. (NAN)