Abuja — The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has recorded another major victory in its anti-corruption drive as the FCT High Court convicted Henry Iloka, Managing Director of Alliance Boots Ltd, over forged documents used to secure a ₦182.7 million consultancy contract from the Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project (HYPREP).
Justice of the FCT High Court found Iloka guilty on charges of forgery and making false statements to investigators, following a prosecution by the ICPC.
The court established that Iloka and his company allegedly submitted falsified documents to win the lucrative consultancy deal linked to HYPREP, the Federal Government agency responsible for the clean-up of oil-polluted sites in Ogoniland and other parts of the Niger Delta.
Prosecutors proved that the defendant presented forged papers as genuine during the bidding process and later made false declarations when questioned by ICPC investigators, in violation of relevant sections of the ICPC Act.
Details of the sentencing were not immediately available, but the conviction underscores the ICPC’s commitment to sanitising public procurement processes and holding private sector actors accountable when they collude in corrupt practices.
HYPREP was established by the Federal Government in 2016 to implement the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) recommendations on the environmental remediation of Ogoniland. The agency has awarded several contracts worth billions of naira for consultancy, remediation, and livelihood projects in the region.
The case, which had been pending before the FCT High Court as CR/176/2020, highlights ongoing efforts to curb graft in high-value government contracts, especially those involving environmental projects and multinational remediation efforts.
ICPC Chairman Dr. Musa Aliyu has repeatedly emphasised the Commission’s resolve to prosecute both public and private individuals involved in corruption, describing such convictions as a deterrent to others.
This latest conviction adds to ICPC’s growing list of successes in high-profile cases and reinforces public confidence in the agency’s capacity to tackle economic and financial crimes in Nigeria.
