By Adedapo Adesanya

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has uncovered 908 suspected ghost workers across 50 federal Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), recovering about N942 million allegedly paid as fraudulent salaries during a nationwide payroll verification exercise.

ICPC Chairman, Mr Musa Adamu Aliyu (SAN), disclosed the findings while speaking on the commission’s ongoing investigation into payroll fraud in federal government institutions.

The anti-graft agency said the exercise exposed widespread payroll irregularities, with the Nigeria Police Force accounting for the highest number of suspected ghost workers.

“For this operation, we identified 570 people whom we suspect are among the fake workers collecting salaries without working,” Mr Aliyu said.

Beyond the police, several MDAs were also found to have significant payroll discrepancies. The National Water Resources Authority recorded 80 suspected ghost workers.

“For this agency, we identified 80 names of people collecting salaries even though they are not workers of the agency,” the ICPC chairman stated.

The Federal Ministry of Works recorded 56 suspected ghost workers, while the Ministry of Foreign Affairs had 24. The Ministry of Defence was found to have 19 suspected fake workers.

“For the Ministry of Defence, we identified 19 people acting as fake workers,” Mr Aliyu added.

The Federal Ministry of Power and the Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment each recorded 17 suspected ghost workers, while the Federal Ministry of Health had 15. The Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation recorded 12 suspected fake workers.

The Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation and the Federal Ministry of Interior were also listed among the institutions affected by the payroll fraud, although the ICPC did not disclose the number of suspected ghost workers identified in the two organisations.

Explaining the scheme, Mr Aliyu said ghost workers are fictitious names inserted into government payrolls to fraudulently receive salaries.

“In some cases, officials add the names of their relatives or associates to the payroll even though they are not employees, and they continue collecting the salaries,” he said.

He cited one case uncovered during the investigation, revealing that, “We found a case where one person put the names of his wife, son and mother-in-law on the payroll while also collecting the salaries of 12 workers.”

He said the payroll verification exercise forms part of the commission’s broader efforts to eliminate leakages in the public service, improve accountability in MDAs and ensure that government salaries are paid only to legitimate employees.

By Modupe Gbadeyanka

President Bola Tinubu has been praised by the United States President, Mr Donald Trump, for his decisive leadership against terrorists.

The presidency, in a statement on Wednesday, disclosed that the American leader conveyed the commendation in a letter dated July 6, 2026, to President Tinubu, saying the Nigerian leader’s “to tackle the issues plaguing Nigeria, especially the violence affecting Christian communities” have not gone unnoticed.

According to Mr Trump: “It is a true honour to stand with you in the fight against these terrorists and to make the Federal Republic of Nigeria stronger and more prosperous.”

The US-Nigeria relationship flourished in recent times, with the two sides working closely in key areas, especially in tackling security challenges afflicting parts of Nigeria.

In November last year, President Trump and President Tinubu agreed to establish a Joint Working Group co-headed by the National Security Advisers of Nigeria and the United States. Through the work of the working group, the two sides agreed on several steps, including training, intelligence sharing, and joint operations to roll back terrorist activities.

A highlight of the collaboration was the May 16 coordinated attack on ISIS hideouts in the Lake Chad area, which led to the killing of the group’s top leader, Abubakar Al-Minoki, and many of his lieutenants

Last week, the US Assistant Secretary of State for Africa, Frank Garcia, visited Abuja, where he held meetings with senior government officials and pledged to strengthen the cooperation between Abuja and Washington DC in security and other areas of collaboration.

Below is the full text of the letter;

Dear Mr President,

Thank you for your thoughtful letter. Your kind words mean a great deal to me, and I appreciate your decisive leadership on behalf of the Nigerian people. I applaud your resolve to tackle the issues plaguing your nation, especially the violence affecting Christian communities and it is a true honor to stand with you in the fight against terrorists and to make the Federal Republic of Nigeria stronger and more prosperous.

The United States-Nigeria relationship is crucial at a time where conflict has spread across West Africa and around the world. We both share a mutual goal of confronting terrorism in all its forms, and our historic US-Nigeria 2026 Defence Cooperation Roadmap has established a robust framework to accomplish this feat.

I am proud to have deployed the United States Special Operations Forces—among the most elite military units anywhere in the world—to equip the brave men and women in the Armed Forces of Nigeria with the skills, tools and intelligence they need to protect your homeland and ensure the safety and security of citizens, particularly those of faith who have been under attack. I look forward to our continued discussions over the course of my Presidency.”

Sincerely,

Donald J. Trump, President of the United States of America

By Adedapo Adesanya

The Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency (NiHSA) has warned that 17 states across the country face a medium flood risk between July 21 and July 27, 2026, urging governments, emergency agencies and residents in vulnerable communities to take immediate precautionary measures to minimise potential loss of lives and property.

The warning was contained in the agency’s National Flood Advisory (Alert No. NFA-2026-200) issued on Tuesday, following hydrological assessments indicating rising water levels in several rivers and critical monitoring stations nationwide.

Director-General and Chief Executive Officer of NiHSA, Mr Umar Mohammed, said the forecast identified Bauchi, Edo, Imo, Kaduna, Plateau and Benue among the states expected to experience flooding during the period, alongside 11 others.

According to Mohammed, the latest hydrological data revealed that water levels at key monitoring stations, including Saminara on the Karam River, Waya Dam Site on the Waya River and Amber on the Amber River, have exceeded established watch and warning thresholds, increasing the likelihood of localised flooding along major river channels and adjoining floodplains.

He disclosed that 16 hydrological gauging stations across the country have recorded elevated river stages, placing several communities at heightened risk of inundation.

“Our hydrological monitoring network indicates that river stages at critical monitoring stations have exceeded watch and warning thresholds. Communities located along these river channels face imminent localised flooding, and we strongly advise state governments, local authorities and residents in flood-prone areas to take immediate preventive action,” Mohammed said.

NiHSA’s impact assessment showed that Bauchi State has the highest level of exposure, with 1,841 communities, 145 schools, 101 health facilities and eight markets identified within areas vulnerable to flooding.

In Edo State, the agency identified 148 communities, 131 schools, 123 health facilities, four markets, seven religious centres and approximately seven hectares of farmland as being at risk.

The advisory also listed 415 communities, 423 schools, 198 health facilities, 49 markets, 111 religious centres and 75 hectares of farmland in Imo State as vulnerable to flooding, while Kaduna State has 168 communities, 16 schools, three health facilities and three religious centres within areas likely to be affected.

For Plateau State, NiHSA identified 205 communities, 137 schools, 44 health facilities, 16 markets, 81 religious centres and 64 hectares of farmland as susceptible to flooding, while Benue State has five communities, eight schools, two health facilities and four religious centres within the projected flood-risk zone.

The agency urged the National Emergency Management Agency, NEMA, State Emergency Management Agencies, SEMAs, local government authorities and community leaders to activate emergency response measures without delay.

Among its recommendations, NiHSA advised the immediate evacuation of residents, livestock and valuables from flood-prone communities to designated safe locations, while emergency agencies were urged to pre-position food supplies, medical equipment, potable water and other relief materials in vulnerable areas.

The agency also called for the activation of community-based early warning systems, continuous public sensitisation, regular clearing of blocked drainage channels and strict adherence to safety guidelines, warning residents against attempting to walk, drive or ride through flooded roads or fast-flowing water.

NiHSA further advised state governments and the public to monitor its daily flood forecasts and advisories to support timely decision-making and reduce the impact of anticipated flooding during the forecast period.