ICPC secures final forfeiture of N941.9m linked to alleged IPPIS ghost workers
By Imisioluwa Afunmiso
The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has secured a final forfeiture order of N941,994,079.86 allegedly traced to proceeds of a ghost worker fraud uncovered on the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS).
The order was granted by Justice Binta Nyako of the Federal High Court, Abuja, following an ex parte application filed by the Commission on behalf of the Federal Government.
According to the ICPC, the forfeited funds were linked to an extensive payroll fraud involving fictitious employees across several Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs).
The Commission said its investigation originated from a systems study conducted in 2023, which uncovered widespread irregularities on the IPPIS platform, including the existence of numerous ghost workers embedded in the payroll system.
It stated that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu subsequently approved a comprehensive audit of the payroll platform, leading to a joint investigation by the ICPC and the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation (OAGF) in April 2024.
The investigation allegedly uncovered 587 suspected ghost workers whose salaries were paid into bank accounts belonging to individuals and companies over several years.
According to the anti-graft agency, some of the bank accounts received multiple salary payments simultaneously, while in several cases, the account names did not correspond with those of the purported employees.
To prevent the dissipation of the suspected proceeds of crime, the Commission said it placed Post No Debit (PND) restrictions on the affected accounts between August and November 2024, freezing a total of N941.9 million.
The affected institutions include the Nigeria Police Force, the Federal Ministries of Defence, Education, Agriculture and Rural Development, Works, Water Resources and Interior, the National Board for Arabic and Islamic Studies, the University of Benin, the University of Calabar, the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, the University of Maiduguri, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, and the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation.
The ICPC further disclosed that it published the names of 910 suspected beneficiaries of the alleged fraud in two national newspapers on March 18, 2026, inviting anyone with legitimate claims to the funds to come forward.
The Commission added that a verification exercise conducted in 2025 cleared 120 civil servants after confirming their identities and employment status, leading to their reinstatement on the IPPIS platform.
However, investigations showed that 467 bank accounts remained linked to individuals whose identities could not be verified, prompting the forfeiture proceedings.
ICPC prosecution counsel, Hamza Sani, told the court that detailed records of the affected accounts, including IPPIS numbers, names of the purported workers and beneficiaries’ banking details, were tendered in support of the application.
In her ruling, Justice Nyako ordered the final forfeiture of the sum to the Federal Government.
“An order is hereby made for the final forfeiture to the Federal Republic of Nigeria of the sum of N941,994,079.86 seized during investigation into the IPPIS payroll scam in the year 2024,” the judge held.
Reacting to the judgment, the ICPC said the ruling reinforces its commitment to tackling corruption, protecting public funds and promoting transparency and accountability in the public service.