The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has secured the final forfeiture of ₦941,994,079.86 recovered during investigations into a suspected ghost workers’ fraud on the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS).
Justice Binta Nyako of the Federal High Court in Abuja granted the order after hearing an ex parte application filed by the ICPC on behalf of the Federal Government, seeking the forfeiture of funds believed to be proceeds of unlawful activities.
The ruling followed the Commission’s publication of the names of 910 individuals suspected to have benefited from the alleged payroll fraud in Daily Trust and The Nation newspapers on March 18, 2026.
ICPC investigations uncovered a large-scale payroll fraud involving hundreds of fictitious public servants, with ₦941.9 million traced to bank accounts linked to the scheme.
The discovery stemmed from a systems review conducted by the Commission in 2023, which exposed the presence of numerous ghost workers on the payrolls of several Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs).
Following the findings, President Bola Tinubu approved a comprehensive audit of the IPPIS platform, leading to a joint investigation by the ICPC and the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation (OAGF) in April 2024.
The probe identified 587 suspected ghost workers, revealing that fake IPPIS identities had been created for non-existent employees across multiple MDAs. Salaries were allegedly paid over several years into bank accounts belonging to individuals and companies, with some accounts receiving multiple salary payments simultaneously.
Between August and November 2024, the Commission froze the affected accounts by placing Post No Debit (PND) restrictions on them.
The investigation implicated several federal institutions, including the Nigeria Police Force, the Federal Ministries of Defence, Education, Agriculture and Rural Development, Works, Water Resources and Interior, as well as the University of Benin, University of Calabar, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, University of Maiduguri, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, the National Board for Arabic and Islamic Studies, and the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation.
A verification exercise carried out in 2025 cleared 120 civil servants, who were subsequently reinstated on the IPPIS platform after their identities and employment status were confirmed.
However, 467 bank accounts remained linked to unverified individuals whose identities could not be established. The ₦941.9 million frozen in those accounts became the subject of the forfeiture proceedings.
ICPC prosecuting counsel, Hamza Sani, told the court that records containing the affected IPPIS numbers, names of the purported workers and beneficiaries’ banking details were tendered as evidence.
In her ruling, Justice Nyako ordered the permanent forfeiture of the funds to the Federal Government.
“An order is hereby made for the final forfeiture to the Federal Republic of Nigeria of the sum of ₦941,994,079.86 seized during investigation into the IPPIS payroll scam in the year 2024,” the court held.
The ICPC said it remains committed to combating corruption and promoting transparency and accountability through the rule of law.
