Reported by: Oahimire Omone Precious | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
The Benin Zonal Directorate of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has arraigned a staff member of the University of Benin (UNIBEN), Segun Bode Adedeji, before Justice E. G. Adekanmbi of the Edo State High Court over an alleged N3,285,396 salary fraud. The defendant was brought before the court on a four-count charge bordering on fraudulent practices, following intelligence gathering that revealed he was simultaneously drawing salaries from two federal government institutions: the University of Benin and the National Orthopedic Hospital, Benin City.
The EFCC’s investigation uncovered that Adedeji, while employed as a staff member of UNIBEN, had also fraudulently secured a position on the payroll of the National Orthopedic Hospital, collecting salaries from both institutions over an extended period without the knowledge or approval of either employer. The exact period covered by the fraudulent scheme was not specified in the commission’s public statement, but the total amount involved was put at N3,285,396.
The charge against Adedeji is contained in a four-count charge sheet, with each count relating to the unlawful receipt of salaries from the National Orthopedic Hospital while still in the full-time employment of the university. The specific counts were not disclosed in the EFCC statement, but the commission noted that the offenses contravene the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act and other relevant laws.
During the arraignment, the defendant pleaded not guilty to all four counts. The prosecution counsel requested a trial date and prayed the court to remand the defendant in a correctional facility pending the conclusion of the case. However, the defence counsel made an oral application for bail, which was not opposed by the prosecution. Justice Adekanmbi subsequently granted bail to the defendant in the sum of N2 million with one surety in like sum. The surety must be a resident of Benin City with evidence of tax payment for the last three years and must submit a recent passport photograph to the court registry. The judge also ordered that the defendant be remanded at the Nigerian Correctional Service facility in Benin City pending the perfection of his bail conditions. The case was adjourned to July 10, 2026, for the commencement of trial.
Reacting to the development, the EFCC Benin Zonal Commander, Mr. Ndifereke Effanga, reaffirmed the commission’s commitment to tackling salary fraud and other forms of financial crime in the public service. He noted that the case was a result of painstaking intelligence gathering and forensic analysis of payroll records, and he warned that the commission would continue to track down individuals who exploit loopholes to defraud the government through multiple salary payments.
The arraignment of Adedeji is the latest in a series of arrests and prosecutions of public servants involved in salary fraud. In recent years, the EFCC has intensified its crackdown on ghost workers and individuals who fraudulently receive double salaries from multiple government agencies. In April 2026, the commission secured the conviction of a staff member of the Federal Polytechnic, Nekede, for a similar offense, and in March 2026, a former local government staff in Lagos was sentenced to five years imprisonment for receiving salaries from two different local government areas simultaneously. The agency has repeatedly warned that it will not spare anyone found culpable, regardless of their status or the amount involved.
The University of Benin has not issued an official statement on the arraignment of its staff member. However, it is expected that the institution’s management will cooperate with the EFCC in the ongoing investigation and may initiate its own internal disciplinary process against Adedeji. The National Orthopedic Hospital, Benin City, has also yet to comment on the incident.
The case has elicited reactions from anti-corruption advocates and members of the public. Some have commended the EFCC for uncovering the fraud, while others have questioned how a single individual could remain on two federal government payrolls for such a long period without being detected by the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS). The IPPIS platform was designed to eliminate duplicate entries and ghost workers by centralizing payroll management for federal employees. The fact that Adedeji allegedly slipped through the cracks raises concerns about the effectiveness of the system and the integrity of personnel management in some federal agencies. The EFCC has assured the public that further investigations are ongoing to determine whether other individuals were involved in the scheme and whether any officials of the two institutions aided the fraud.
As the case progresses to trial, the EFCC has pledged to present robust evidence and witnesses to prove its case beyond a reasonable doubt. The agency has urged members of the public to support its anti-corruption efforts by providing credible information on financial crimes, particularly those involving public funds.
Adedeji remains in custody pending the perfection of his bail conditions. If convicted, he faces the possibility of a prison term and an order to refund the entire N3,285,396 misappropriated. The case serves as a warning to other public servants who may be tempted to engage in similar payroll fraud. The EFCC has made it clear that it will continue to deploy its forensic and investigative resources to uncover such schemes and bring perpetrators to justice.
For the University of Benin, the case is an embarrassment, but it also offers an opportunity to review its internal control mechanisms and plug any loopholes that may have allowed the alleged fraud to occur. For the National Orthopedic Hospital, Benin City, the case raises questions about its recruitment and payroll processes. As the trial unfolds, the public will be watching to see how the institutions respond and whether the EFCC succeeds in securing a conviction.
The adjourned date of July 10, 2026, will mark the beginning of what promises to be a closely watched trial, one that could set a precedent for how salary fraud cases are handled in Nigeria’s tertiary institutions and federal agencies.
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