N941 million forfeiture: 70 Nigerians accuse ICPC of mixing up bank accounts

Around 70 Nigerians have challenged a N941 million final forfeiture order issued by the Federal High Court in Abuja on July 13, 2026. Their argument stems from an alleged bank account discrepancy made by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC). This legal challenge was submitted through their lawyer, Abbas Ochogwu Esq., and reported by Nairametrics.

The ICPC is currently investigating payroll fraud in connection with the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS), which has been underway since 2024. Ochogwu's clients argue that their bank accounts were mistakenly linked to "unknown persons" in the court's forfeiture suit, despite not being named as parties.

The lawyer seeks to have the restrictions on their frozen bank accounts lifted, arguing that they were not given a chance to present their case. Ochogwu contends that the court's decision to restrict their accounts without a valid court order violates their constitutional right to a fair hearing. He claims that the third parties have not been under any investigation, as none have been arrested, interrogated, or tried for any crime.

The ICPC maintains that its investigation identified ghost workers and linked the frozen accounts to IPPIS salary credits under fraudulent payroll identities. The court has yet to determine a date for the third parties' motion to be heard. The litigation is rooted in the Nigerian government's efforts to eliminate ghost workers since the introduction of the IPPIS in 2007 to improve transparency and accuracy in personnel records management.