Contending Fraud in Nigeria: Is Nigerian Judiciary a Challenge to Prevention?

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to explore whether the attitude of the Nigerian judiciary in the fight against fraudulent behavior is a challenge to the prevention of fraud, and to offer a possible solution that could help to exterminate fraud.  This study is a qualitative case study approach. It concentrates on finding the outcome from the sources of data that involve government reports, Economic and Financial Crime Comision (EFCC) cases, newspapers, and interviews with the participants. The interview session of 15 participants was gained from the study. The study found that (a) weakness of the Nigerian courts, (b) unpatriotic judges, and (c) lack of commitments from the side of the Nigerian government make fraudulent activities in the Nigerian public sector (NPS) persistent. Thus, it stuck the effort to combat fraud in NPS. This study has practical implications for regulators and anti-corruption bodies such as Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Nigerian judiciary, EFCC, Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON), and Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB). The study may perhaps ease and facilitates the technique for combating fraudulent activities among Nigerian public employees (politicians and civil servants). The study also has a scholarly contribution to the body of knowledge and existing literature. This paper is original and unique in its form and has value on prevention, modern-day fraud cases in the Nigerian public sector. The article is also useful to all those who might cherish to admire its standing.