Tinubu Orders Forensic Audit Of IPPIS, Federal Agencies

President Bola Tinubu has ordered a comprehensive forensic audit of the Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information System (IPPIS) and all Federal Government agencies to uncover ghost workers, payroll fraud and other systemic control failures.

In a statement on Friday, the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, said Tinubu directed the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Taiwo Oyedele, to oversee and coordinate the exercise.

The directive followed a resolution of the Federal Executive Council (FEC) on August 19, 2026, based on findings by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) concerning “fake agencies”, ghost workers and weaknesses in government controls.

According to the statement, the audit will determine the nature and extent of weaknesses in government systems and how they have been exploited.

It added that the first component will focus on IPPIS and related payroll, personnel, pension, and financial management platforms. It will also investigate reported ghost workers and payroll fraud, reconcile figures identified by the ICPC and examine how fictitious or ineligible persons were enrolled.

The audit will also review access, identity, biometric and bank-account controls, as well as the links between IPPIS and other government platforms, including GIFMIS, Remita, the Treasury Single Account (TSA) and Sub-TSA.

The second component will cover all Federal Government ministries, departments, agencies, commissions, councils, parastatals and other government bodies.

It will establish a definitive inventory of government entities, verify their legal status and examine how they obtain official recognition, budgetary consideration, office facilities and access to government systems.

The exercise will further assess governance, procurement, internal audit and oversight mechanisms to identify and close loopholes that could allow irregular entities or individuals to access public resources.

Tinubu also directed that the audit be conducted with the highest standards of independence, professionalism and forensic integrity.

The audit team will have access to relevant government systems and records and collaborate with the ICPC to complement ongoing investigations, prosecutions and recoveries.

The president said the exercise must go beyond identifying individual cases of fraud by strengthening government systems, improving data verification and reconciliation, reinforcing accountability and ensuring that only legally recognised entities and eligible personnel access government resources.