Nigerian president signs anti-corruption law

President Olusegun Obasanjo of Nigeria has signed into law new anti-corruption legislation intended to combat corrupt practices at all levels.

The law allows for the creation of a special council to investigate charges of corruption against any Nigerian, including the president.

It also makes it a criminal offence not to report any offers of bribes.

President Obasanjo said he hoped that the new legislation would substantially reduce what he called the "menace and evil of corruption" in Nigerian society. President Obasanjo first presented the legislation to the Nigerian parliament in June 1999, shortly after winning presidential elections on promises of an anti-corruption drive.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service