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ICPC Uncovers Official Who Enrolled 14 Family Members on Govt Payroll, Another Collected 13 Salaries
ICPC Uncovers Official Who Enrolled 14 Family Members on Govt Payroll, Another Collected 13 Salaries
The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has uncovered massive payroll fraud across federal ministries, departments and agencies, revealing that one official fraudulently enrolled 14 members of his family on the public payroll, while another individual collected 13 separate salaries and a private hotel was also registered as a government employee receiving monthly payments.
ICPC Chairman Musa Aliyu disclosed these findings on Thursday in Abuja during his keynote address at the 2026 Economic Confidential Lecture and National Spokespersons Award, organised by Image Merchants Promotions Limited. He revealed that investigators had uncovered multiple cases of individuals manipulating government payroll systems to divert public funds through fictitious salary payments. “We discovered that one person enrolled 14 members of his family. He lived in a religious hotel, a hotel at the public office, receiving salaries,” Aliyu said. In another shocking case, a different suspect allegedly placed his wife, daughter, son and other relatives on the payroll and was collecting 13 separate salaries. The commission also found that a hotel had been registered as a public officer and was receiving salaries from government funds.
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The ICPC chairman explained that fraudulent entries were carefully concealed within official records. Names and email addresses of phantom workers appeared on government payrolls, but the bank account numbers linked to those entries belonged to entirely different individuals. “When they insert their names, you will see their name in the payroll. You will see their email. But when you check the account number, you will see the name of the person. So, that is how these things have been done,” he explained. Investigators also found cases where the name of a supposed female employee was linked to a bank account belonging to a man, highlighting the extent of manipulation within payroll systems.
The investigation, which lasted an entire year, identified 908 suspected ghost workers across at least 50 federal ministries, departments and agencies. The commission published the names of these individuals in national newspapers and obtained interim court orders, challenging them to prove they were genuine government employees. According to Aliyu, after one year, not a single person appeared to challenge the action, and the court granted final forfeiture, with the commission recovering over N100 million from their accounts. The Nigeria Police Force recorded the highest number of suspected ghost workers among all institutions investigated, with 570 names identified during the verification exercise. The National Water Resources Authority followed with 80, while the Federal Ministry of Works had 56 suspected ghost workers. Other affected agencies include the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (24), Ministry of Defence (19), Ministry of Power (17), Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment (17), Ministry of Health (15), and the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation (12). The commission noted that the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation and the Ministry of Interior were also implicated, though figures were withheld as investigations are ongoing.
The commission recovered about N942 million linked to fraudulent salary payments made to fictitious workers. In a related legal action, Justice Binta Nyako of the Federal High Court in Abuja granted final forfeiture of N941,994,079.86 seized during investigation into the IPPIS payroll scam. The funds were traced to accounts linked to the scheme following a systems study conducted by the commission in 2023. Aliyu warned that the consequences of payroll fraud extend far beyond salary theft. “Once there is a ghost worker, there is ghost pension, there is ghost mortgage, there is ghost housing fund, there is ghost health insurance,” he said. The ICPC recovered more than N24 billion in ghost pension funds in 2024 alone. He explained that ghost workers and fraudulent pension claims consume resources that could otherwise be used to employ genuine workers, pay legitimate retirees and provide essential public services.
The ICPC chairman said the commission had adopted a preventive approach, focusing on stopping corruption before it occurs rather than relying solely on criminal prosecution. “It is better for us to do that than to engage in filing criminal charges. How many charges can we file?” he asked. He also called for greater use of data and technology in combating corruption, stressing that effective communication and access to reliable information were essential to building public confidence in anti-corruption efforts. Earlier, the Chief Executive Officer of IMPR, Yusha’u Shuaib, said the lecture was organised to promote stronger governance through transparency, accountability and professional communication. “We are honoured to host yet another gathering of leaders, professionals, scholars, and communication experts committed to strengthening governance, promoting transparency, and advancing excellence in public communication,” Shuaib said.
ICPC Uncovers Official Who Enrolled 14 Family Members on Govt Payroll, Another Collected 13 Salaries
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Bandits Collect ₦56m Ransom, Three Phones Before Returning Abducted Kaduna Farmer’s Corpse
Bandits Collect ₦56m Ransom, Three Phones Before Returning Abducted Kaduna Farmer’s Corpse
KADUNA, Nigeria — Residents have been thrown into mourning and outrage after armed bandits reportedly collected a staggering ₦56 million ransom before handing over the lifeless body of an abducted farmer, Ibrahim Kadafa, popularly known as Ibro or K9, to his family.
The tragic incident occurred along the Kaduna-Abuja highway corridor, where Kadafa and his friend, Mustapha Shelpidi, were reportedly kidnapped while harvesting soybeans on a farm about two weeks ago.
According to accounts from family sources, Kadafa sustained a gunshot injury to his leg while attempting to escape during the attack.
Rather than receiving medical attention, the abducted farmer was allegedly left without treatment throughout his captivity, as his family struggled to negotiate his release.
After weeks of negotiations and efforts to raise the money, the family reportedly met the kidnappers’ demands, paying ₦56 million in ransom, alongside three brand-new Samsung mobile phones and ₦20,000 worth of airtime.
However, what the family had hoped would be a joyful reunion turned into an unimaginable tragedy on Wednesday, November 11, 2026.
When relatives arrived at the agreed location to receive Kadafa, the bandits reportedly handed them his corpse instead of the living man they had spent millions of naira trying to rescue.
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The circumstances surrounding his death remain unclear, although relatives suspect that complications arising from the untreated gunshot wound may have contributed to his death while in captivity.
Meanwhile, the fate of his friend and fellow abductee, Mustapha Shelpidi, remains unknown, raising further concerns about his safety and the possibility that he is still being held by the kidnappers.
Friends and associates of the deceased have continued to express grief over the incident, describing Kadafa as a dependable friend, responsible family member and respected figure in his community.
One of his grieving associates recalled how the late farmer regularly sought his advice on important personal decisions, describing their relationship as that of brothers.
“He was someone who believed in me enough to seek my advice whenever he needed to make important decisions. He was my brother and friend. This is wrong, in all shades,” the associate lamented.
Kadafa was reportedly the first son of his mother, who is now left to mourn his death, while several of his siblings reside in Abuja.
His killing has renewed concerns over the worsening security situation along the Kaduna-Abuja highway and surrounding rural communities, where farmers, travellers and other residents remain vulnerable to attacks and abductions.
The incident has also raised fresh questions about the effectiveness of security operations in the area, particularly as kidnapping victims and their families continue to face devastating consequences despite paying huge sums to secure their freedom.
As of the time of filing this report, security agencies had yet to issue an official statement on Kadafa’s death or provide details about efforts to rescue Shelpidi.
The family and community are now left mourning a man whose relatives reportedly paid millions of naira in the hope of bringing him home alive.
Bandits Collect ₦56m Ransom, Three Phones Before Returning Abducted Kaduna Farmer’s Corpse
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I Caught My Husband in Our Matrimonial Bed With Another Woman, Waited for Them to Finish – Wife
I Caught My Husband in Our Matrimonial Bed With Another Woman, Waited for Them to Finish – Wife
KUMASI, GHANA — A woman has sparked widespread reactions after recounting how she caught her husband allegedly having an affair with another woman in their matrimonial bedroom but chose to wait until they were done before confronting him.
The woman made the revelation during an interview on Nhyira 104.5 FM, where she narrated the shocking experience and her unusual reaction to discovering her husband’s alleged infidelity.
According to her account, she returned home unexpectedly and discovered that her husband was in their bedroom with another woman.
Rather than immediately confronting the pair, creating a scene or attempting to force her way into the room, she decided to remain calm and wait for them to finish.
“I caught my husband in our bed with another woman, so I waited for them to finish,” she reportedly told the programme’s presenters.
Her revelation has since generated considerable attention on social media, with clips from the interview circulating across various online platforms and triggering heated discussions about marriage, betrayal and relationships.
The woman’s unusual decision to wait instead of immediately confronting her husband has particularly divided social media users.
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Some commentators expressed admiration for her composure, arguing that she demonstrated remarkable self-control in a situation that could easily have resulted in a heated confrontation.
Others, however, questioned how she managed to remain calm after discovering such an intimate betrayal, with some suggesting that the shock of the discovery might have left her temporarily speechless.
Some social media users also wondered what happened after the couple allegedly finished, particularly how the woman confronted her husband and what explanation he offered for the incident.
Others turned the story into a broader discussion about the importance of faithfulness and respect in marriage, insisting that no spouse should have to endure the humiliation of discovering an affair in their matrimonial home.
The account also attracted humorous reactions from some online commentators, who described the woman’s patience as extraordinary, while others said they would have reacted very differently if they had found themselves in a similar situation.
However, the circumstances surrounding the alleged affair, including the identity of the other woman and what happened after the discovery, have not been independently established.
As the interview continues to circulate online, the woman’s account has added another chapter to ongoing social media conversations about marital infidelity, trust, emotional control and the painful consequences of betrayal.
I Caught My Husband in Our Matrimonial Bed With Another Woman, Waited for Them to Finish – Wife
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Court Admits Supreme Court Judgment Against Emefiele in $4.5bn, N2.8bn Fraud Trial Despite Defence Objection
Court Admits Supreme Court Judgment Against Emefiele in $4.5bn, N2.8bn Fraud Trial Despite Defence Objection
LAGOS, NIGERIA — The Ikeja Special Offences Court has overruled an objection by former Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor, Godwin Emefiele, and admitted a certified true copy of a Supreme Court judgment into evidence in his ongoing $4.5 billion and N2.8 billion fraud trial.
Justice Rahman Oshodi, who presided over the proceedings on Friday, admitted the judgment as Exhibit L, ruling that it was a public document admissible in evidence.
The document reportedly concerns multiple properties forfeited to the Federal Government and allegedly linked to the former CBN governor.
The prosecution had sought to tender the Supreme Court judgment through its eighth witness, Alvan Gurumnaan, the lead investigator in the case.
However, Emefiele’s defence counsel opposed its admission, questioning its relevance and legal admissibility in the ongoing criminal proceedings.
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Emefiele is facing a 19-count charge bordering on alleged gratification, corrupt demands and abuse of office involving $4.5 billion and N2.8 billion.
He is standing trial alongside Henry Omoile, who faces a separate three-count charge over the alleged unlawful acceptance of gifts.
During Friday’s proceedings, the defence challenged the prosecution’s attempt to introduce the Supreme Court judgment, raising concerns about its relevance to the criminal trial and the circumstances surrounding the document’s presentation.
The defence also questioned the prosecution’s reliance on the judgment, which arose from a forfeiture-related matter.
In his ruling, Justice Oshodi dismissed the objections, holding that a certified true copy of a court judgment qualifies as a public document that can be admitted in evidence.
The judge explained that judgments are tendered in subsequent proceedings to establish what a court had previously decided, not to automatically import the evidence presented in the earlier case into a fresh trial.
He cited several judicial authorities, including David v. Friyisi Akperen (2000), Egwu v. Ezeubu (1992), Okoye v. Ogoji (1991) and Ademba v. Odizi (1999), in support of his position.
Justice Oshodi further held that the omission of certain ancillary details did not make the certified judgment incomplete or inadmissible.
Following the ruling, the court admitted the document as Exhibit L, with its use restricted to establishing the decisions previously reached by the Supreme Court concerning the disputed assets.
The development marks another stage in the prosecution’s presentation of evidence against the former CBN governor.
The court subsequently adjourned the case until December 17, 2026, for the continuation of cross-examination and further proceedings.
Court Admits Supreme Court Judgment Against Emefiele in $4.5bn, N2.8bn Fraud Trial Despite Defence Objection
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