IPPIS Accountants Plead Guilty To Diverting Salaries Of Former Workers
By Erewunmi Peace
Two senior accountants with the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS) have pleaded guilty to diverting the salaries of former staff of the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Ebute Meta, Lagos.
The accused, Shola Onasanya, Chief Accountant, and Halimat Olalere, Principal Executive Officer (Accounts), were arraigned before Justice Ibrahim Kala of the Federal High Court, Lagos, by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC).
According to the ICPC, the duo diverted a total of ₦1.17 million, being salaries of staff who had left the service, between January and December 2023.
During their arraignment, both defendants pleaded guilty and subsequently entered a plea bargain agreement with the prosecution. The trial judge, however, noted that a guilty plea alone was not enough to secure conviction without supporting evidence, and therefore adjourned the case for review of facts.
The court fixed September 18, 2025 for the continuation of proceedings.
The case has once again drawn public attention to loopholes in the IPPIS system, which was introduced to curb ghost workers and salary fraud in Nigeria’s public sector.
