908 Ghost Workers, One Life Sentence
908 ghost workers, life sentences for Oyo kidnappers, NCAA threatens Royal Air Maroc, solar booms, Kwara shuts businesses.
Good morning,
The Nigeria Police Force has 570 people on its payroll who do not exist. That is not a clerical error. That is a system so broken that fake workers can draw salaries for years without detection. The ICPC uncovered 908 suspected ghost workers across 50 federal MDAs, recovering about ₦942 million in fraudulent salary payments. The National Water Resources Authority followed with 80 cases, the Ministry of Works with 56, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs with 24. One suspect allegedly added family members to the payroll and collected salaries for 12 workers. The police force alone accounted for more than 60% of the suspected cases. That is not a payroll problem. That is a systemic failure.
While the ICPC counts ghost workers, the courts are counting the living. Three men have been sentenced to life imprisonment for the May 2026 abduction of 46 pupils and teachers in Oyo State’s Oriire LGA. Abdulrazak Umar, Yunusa Musa and Shamsu Adamu Sani pleaded guilty to terrorism charges, including concealing information about the attack and belonging to Darul Salam, an affiliate of Ansaru. Justice Salim Ibrahim ruled that the sentence would take effect from the date of their arrest. The swift conviction sends a signal. But the masterminds remain at large.
The NCAA is also sending a signal. It has threatened sanctions against Royal Air Maroc, citing a history of defiance against its regulatory authority and poor treatment of Nigerian passengers. The airline’s country manager reportedly told the regulator: “Whatever you want to do, do.” Baggage continues to be short-landed without timely information. Compensation is not paid consistently. The NCAA is asserting its authority. The question is whether it will back up the threat with action.
And Nigerians are building their own solutions. A BloombergNEF report named Nigeria one of Africa’s fastest-growing small-scale solar markets, driven by rising grid tariffs and fuel costs. Nigeria added 3.1 GW of small-scale solar capacity in 2024 and 2025. The shift is economic, not environmental. Homes, schools and hospitals are investing in solar because the grid has failed them.
But in Kwara State, the state is driving businesses away. A university don has condemned the indiscriminate sealing of businesses by the KW-IRS, calling the approach counterproductive to economic growth. Aggressive enforcement can undermine business confidence and drive informal economic activity. The short-term revenue gain is not worth the long-term damage.
Think about that as you start your day.
Warmly,
Lolade