ICPC Blows Lid Off Payroll Scam: 22,074 Suspicious Workers Uncovered

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has revealed a shocking figure of 22,074 questionable employees on the Federal Government payroll, raising serious concerns despite the continued use of the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS).
The ICPC report reveals that the government had allocated a staggering sum of N37,133,7614.40 last year alone to these problematic personnel. The discrepancies cut across various Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) and academia, with the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) emerging as the most implicated force.
The audit revealed that 12,714 employees on the MDA payroll between January and December last year were missing from the agency-wide nominal list. The financial impact of these irregularities is estimated at N34,808,740,634.37. Moreover, the IPPIS payroll records revealed the names of about 4,190 former police officers, further complicating the situation.

These findings come from a detailed review of IPPIS conducted as part of the anti-corruption system assessment initiated by the government of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. The investigation uncovered cases of manipulation and manipulation within IPPIS, including the insertion of fake workers and other suspicious characters.
Among the irregularities uncovered, ICPC investigators reported numerous cases of double payment of salaries, fictitious names, false identities, maintenance of multiple IPPIS accounts, etc. Notably, about 95 employees of various MDAs were found to have their names on both the payroll and personnel rolls, but upon identity check, discrepancies were found. Notably, the Ministry of Public Works had 212 personnel on the IPPIS payroll with a total monthly salary of N31,986,324.40 who were not on the ministry’s nominal list nor the service-wide nominal list.

The ICPC analysis revealed significant discrepancies of 12,174 personnel between the nominal list and the January to December 2023 payroll. The Commission stressed that the irregularities are particularly rooted in the Nigeria Police Force, with thousands of former personnel on the payroll.
The report detailed that of the 352,028 personnel on the NPF’s roster and 312,047 on the payroll, 37,160 were marked as “ex-employees.” However, discrepancies were found. As of December 2023, 4,190 former employees have received a total salary of N980,273,690.51.
Of these, 3,228 cases had consistent records and 962 cases had inconsistent records. Further investigation revealed that 20 employees not on the nominal list were paid a total of N5,585,256.13. Additionally, 40 employees had multiple IPPIS numbers linked to one account, with 21 of them receiving double pay.
The findings also uncovered accounts linked to two officials registered under the name Don Akusu Ikoro Global, but whose nominal names and names on their pay slips do not match. This comprehensive report highlights the urgent need for reforms and strengthened governance of the IPPIS system to prevent future abuses.