Nigeria, June 28 -- The chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), Bolaji Owasanoye, has blamed rising cases violent crimes and biting poverty in northern Nigeria on years of poor leadership in the region.

Mr Owasanoye spoke on the sideline of a conference in Lagos on Friday organised by Integrity Organisation, a nongovernmental body focused on encouraging the building of a culture of integrity across the socioeconomic and political sectors in Nigeria, and Africa by extension.

The law professor, who spoke on the theme; "Governance, leadership and Ethics: How to Build a Thriving Economy," said if the socioeconomic challenges facing northern Nigeria is addressed, 50 per cent of Nigeria's pr...