Abuja, Nigeria | September 18, 2025
A staff member of the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS) has pleaded guilty to charges of diverting salaries meant for retired government workers.
The accused, whose name was withheld pending sentencing, was arraigned before a Federal High Court in Abuja by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). Prosecutors revealed that the staff manipulated the IPPIS platform to reroute funds allocated for pensioners and ex-government employees into personal accounts.
During the hearing, the prosecution detailed how millions of naira were fraudulently withdrawn over several months, leaving affected retirees stranded without pay. The defendant admitted to the crime and entered a guilty plea, prompting the court to adjourn for sentencing.
The EFCC described the case as a breakthrough in its ongoing investigations into payroll fraud, assuring Nigerians that stricter monitoring systems would be introduced to prevent future breaches.
“This act of betrayal worsened the hardship of retired workers who dedicated their lives to public service,” an EFCC official stated, stressing that the agency would pursue all accomplices involved in the scheme.
Legal analysts say the guilty plea could lead to a reduced sentence under Nigerian criminal procedure, but many have called for stiffer penalties to serve as deterrence against payroll fraud.
The case has reignited public debate on the need for stronger security and oversight mechanisms in the government’s salary management system, especially within sensitive platforms like IPPIS.