Nigeria's ICPC recovers ₦941.9 million from ghost‑worker payroll fraud

The Federal High Court in Abuja ordered the final forfeiture of roughly ₦941,994,079.86 linked to a large‑scale payroll fraud involving fictitious "ghost" workers on the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS). Justice Binta Nyako granted the ex‑parte application filed by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC).

Investigations uncovered 587 suspected ghost workers embedded across numerous ministries and agencies, including the Nigeria Police Force, Defence, Education, Agriculture, Works, Water Resources and Interior. The fraud was first flagged by a 2023 systems study; President Bola Tinubu then approved a comprehensive audit. A joint ICPC‑Office of the Accountant‑General investigation in April 2024 traced the illicit funds to hundreds of bank accounts across multiple financial institutions and placed post‑no‑debit restrictions on them.

The ICPC has published the names of 910 individuals believed to have benefited from the scheme and seized the money for the federal government, marking one of the most significant anti‑corruption actions in recent Nigerian history.