Two civil servants working with the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS) have pleaded guilty to diverting salaries belonging to former staff of the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Ebute Meta, Lagos.
Shola Onasanya, a Chief Accountant, and Halimat Olalere, a Principal Executive Officer in the Accounts Department, were arraigned on Wednesday before Justice Ibrahim Kala of the Federal High Court in Lagos by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC).
The defendants, who were stationed at the IPPIS Payroll Desk Office of the FMC, were charged with a two-count offence bordering on corruption and unlawful conversion of government funds. They pleaded guilty after entering into a plea bargain agreement with the anti-graft agency.
According to the ICPC, the two officials failed to stop salary payments totalling N1.17 million for employees who had exited the civil service and instead diverted the funds for personal use. The commission said the offence contravenes Section 18(2)(d) of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.
During Wednesday’s proceedings, ICPC prosecutor Enosa Omoghibo informed the court that an amended charge had been filed on September 4 in line with the plea bargain and requested that it be read to the defendants. However, Justice Kala noted that proper court permission was required before a new charge could be introduced.
Following this, Omoghibo formally sought leave of court to substitute the initial charge with the amended one, a request that was granted without objection from the defence counsel. The charge was then read to the defendants, who both pleaded guilty.
Citing Section 270 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA), 2015, the prosecution urged the court to adopt the plea bargain terms as its judgment. However, Justice Kala declined, citing Section 274 of the same Act, which requires the prosecution to present supporting evidence before a conviction can be entered.
“The guilty plea is important, but it must be backed by evidence before the court can proceed to conviction,” the judge said.
In response, the prosecution requested an adjournment to prepare and tender the required evidence, and the court adjourned the matter to September 18, 2025, for a review of the facts.
The ICPC alleged that the offence took place between January and December 2023. Investigators found that the second defendant, Olalere, had altered her own bank account details to receive the salaries of former employees, under the instruction of the first defendant, Onasanya. The funds were later transferred to Onasanya’s account, according to the prosecution.
The total sum allegedly diverted — N1.17 million — is considered proceeds of corruption.
