HURIWA, HEDA demand public accountability for recovered assets
Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has secured a final forfeiture order for N941,994,079.86 allegedly linked to a ghost worker fraud uncovered during investigations into the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS).

Justice Binta Nyako of the Federal High Court in Abuja granted the order following an ex parte application filed by the ICPC on behalf of the Federal Government, seeking the forfeiture of the funds believed to be proceeds of unlawful activities.

The ruling followed an extensive investigation into payroll fraud that allegedly involved hundreds of fictitious public servants across several Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs).

As part of the legal process, the ICPC said it published the names of 910 suspected beneficiaries of the alleged fraud in Daily Trust and The Punch newspapers on March 18, 2026, inviting anyone with legitimate claims to the funds to come forward.

According to the commission, the investigation stemmed from a 2023 systems study that uncovered widespread irregularities in IPPIS and revealed numerous ghost workers embedded in government institutions’ payrolls.

Following the findings, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu 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 reportedly uncovered 587 suspected ghost workers on the IPPIS platform.

The commission said the probe revealed that fictitious IPPIS identities had been created for non-existent personnel across multiple MDAs, with salaries allegedly paid over several years into bank accounts belonging to individuals and companies. In several instances, account names did not correspond with those of the purported employees, while some accounts allegedly received multiple salary payments simultaneously.

To preserve the suspected proceeds of crime, the ICPC placed Post No Debit (PND) restrictions on the identified accounts between August and November 2024, freezing funds amounting to N941.9 million.

MEANWHILE, Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) and Human and Environmental Development Agenda (HEDA Resource Centre) have called for greater transparency and public accountability in the management of assets recovered from corruption.

HURIWA noted the success of Nigeria’s anti-graft campaign should be measured not only by court-ordered forfeitures but also by how the recovered wealth benefits ordinary Nigerians.

It made the call yesterday, commending the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for securing a series of landmark court victories that led to the permanent forfeiture of billions of naira in assets linked to unlawful activities.

In a statement signed by its National Coordinator, Emmanuel Onwubiko, the association said recent judicial decisions involving the forfeiture of over N4.6 billion worth of jewellery, N4.293 billion in luxury vehicles, cash recovered from businesswoman Aisha Achimugu; the Supreme Court’s restoration of the forfeiture of assets linked to former Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor, Godwin Emefiele, the forfeiture of 52 luxury housing units in Lagos, and other recoveries had reinforced public confidence in the judiciary’s role in the fight against corruption.

HEDA, in its remarks, describes the judgment as a significant boost to Nigeria’s anti-corruption campaign.

HEDA’s Chairman, Olanrewaju Suraju, commended the anti-graft agency for pursuing the case to its logical conclusion and lauded the judiciary for upholding the rule of law.

According to Suraju, the judgment demonstrates that anti-corruption institutions can achieve meaningful outcomes, whether with private or public persons, when investigations and prosecutions are conducted professionally and without undue interference.