The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has arraigned Abubakar Mohammed Aseku, an Assistant Superintendent of Immigration with the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS), over allegations of receiving salaries from three different government agencies simultaneously.
Aseku was arraigned before Justice Binta Dogonyaro of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court in Apo, Abuja, on a nine-count charge bordering on abuse of office and corruption.
According to the ICPC, Aseku unlawfully collected N4.2 million in salaries from the Nasarawa State Ministry of Education, Science, and Technology while still working as a teacher in 2015, despite being actively employed by the NIS.
Aseku also collected N13.4 million in salaries from the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) between 2018 and 2019, even as he remained an immigration officer.
Also, N4.7 million in salaries paid to seven individuals who were neither NIS employees nor on its payroll.
One of the charges against him read, ““That you, Abubakar Mohammed Aseku, between October 2018 and October 2019, in Abuja, while serving as an Assistant Superintendent Immigration Officer, used your position to confer corrupt advantage upon yourself by receiving a total sum of N13,400,889.90 in salaries from the Department of Petroleum Resources, while concurrently employed by the Nigerian Immigration Service, thereby committing an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 19 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000.”
During the hearing, Aseku pleaded not guilty to all the charges. His lawyer, Basil Hemba, argued that his client had previously been granted bail by another FCT High Court in Maitama and requested that the existing bail terms be upheld.
Justice Dogonyaro accepted the request and maintained the previous bail conditions.
The ICPC’s counsel, Michael Adesola, then requested an adjournment to enable the prosecution to present its witnesses.
The court subsequently adjourned the case to April 29, 2025, for further hearing.
Aseku’s arraignment comes shortly after ICPC Chairman Dr. Musa Aliyu revealed that the agency had uncovered multiple payroll manipulation schemes, including cases where public officials illegally added family members to government payrolls.
In 2024, the ICPC recovered over N20 billion in pension deductions meant for ghost workers.
