By ADEBISI ADEMOLA.
A report by National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) has said Police personnel, followed by the judiciary are top federal government agencies that are prone to bribe collection in Nigeria.
NBS is the main federal government agency saddled with the development and management of official statistics, and authoritative source and custodian of official statistics in Nigeria.
The national corruption survey report by NBS explained that almost half, 46.4 per cent adult Nigerians that had direct contact with Police personnel in the last 12 months have paid bribe.
According to NBS report, “Police officers are the type of public official to whom bribes are most commonly paid in Nigeria.
“Of all adult Nigerians who had direct contact with a police officer in the 12 months prior to the survey, almost half (46.4 per cent) paid that officer at least one bribe, and in many cases more than one since police officers are also among the three types of public official to whom bribes are paid most frequently (5.3 bribes per bribe-payer over the course of 12 months) in Nigeria.
“Although fewer people come in contact with judiciary officials than with police officers over the course of the year, when they do, the risk of bribery is considerable: at 33 per cent, the prevalence of bribery in relation to prosecutors is the second highest, closely followed by judges and magistrates, at 31.5 per cent. The experience of corruption in encounters with public officials who should uphold the rule of law can lead to an erosion of trust in public authority.
“Prevalence rate of bribery in relation to selected types of public official, Nigeria, 2016.”
The report explained that vast majority of bribery episodes in Nigeria are initiated either directly or indirectly by public officials (85.3 per cent), almost 70 per cent of bribes are paid before a service is rendered and, with nine out of every 10 bribes paid to public officials being paid in cash, the payment of money is by the far the most dominant form of bribe payment in Nigeria.
“With such a large portion of public officials initiating bribery episodes it seems that many public officials show little hesitation in asking for a kickback to carry out their duty and that bribery is an established part of the administrative procedure in Nigeria.
“While money is by far the most important form of bribe giving in Nigeria, the survey shows that other forms of bribe payments exist, such as the provision of food and drink, handing over valuables or the exchange with another service or favour. “Evidence from qualitative research shows that such exchanges may sometimes include sexual services as a form of bribe payment, though the real extent of this particular form of payment is unknown.
“Percentage distribution of bribes, by modality of bribe request and timing of payment, Nigeria, 2016.”
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