For over a decade, he typed police promotion letters in Katsina. Then he exposed a multi-million naira ghost workers racket and ended up behind bars. What really happened to Mubarak Bello?
For more than ten years, Mubarak Bello worked within the Katsina State Police Headquarters, reportedly assisting with administrative tasks such as typing promotion letters, processing loan applications, and managing internal documents.
In 2021, Bello allegedly discovered a multi-million naira ghost police workers racket a corruption scheme involving salary payments to fictitious officers. His attempt to expose it has since turned his life upside down.
According to an investigation by The International Centre for Investigative Reporting (ICIR), Bello is now behind bars, accused of impersonation and illegal possession of firearms charges that human rights activists claim were fabricated to silence him.
A source familiar with the case said, “Mubarak worked there for years. He wasn’t a police officer, but everyone in the Command knew him. He saw irregularities in the system and raised alarm. Instead of support, they turned against him.”
The ICIR report reveals that Bello had access to sensitive documents, giving him insight into how ghost names were allegedly inserted into police payrolls. The racket, according to insiders, cost the government millions monthly in fraudulent salaries.
Police officials, however, insist that Bello was never a legitimate employee. One senior officer reportedly said, “He was only helping out on clerical tasks. He later started accessing confidential documents illegally. That’s why he was arrested.”
Yet, rights advocates say this narrative doesn’t add up. To them, Bello’s detention is part of a broader effort to intimidate those who dare expose corruption within Nigeria’s law enforcement system.
The story gained massive traction online after Hausaroom reposted a short documentary from ICIR, detailing Bello’s arrest. The post has since sparked outrage across Instagram and X (formerly Twitter).
A user commented, “So, a man exposes corruption in the police and ends up in jail? This shows how broken our system is.”
Another wrote, “Nigeria’s whistleblower protection is a joke. Mubarak deserves justice, not prison.”
Many Nigerians have called on the Inspector General of Police and the Ministry of Justice to intervene, urging transparency in the investigation.
Bello’s case highlights a long-standing issue in Nigeria’s public service the ghost worker syndrome. The term refers to fictitious employees who exist on payrolls but do not actually work in the organization.
The Federal Government has repeatedly battled the problem. In 2016, over 50,000 ghost workers were removed from the payroll through the Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information System (IPPIS), saving the country billions of naira.
Despite these measures, the problem persists across various ministries and state agencies. Analysts believe that entrenched corruption, poor monitoring, and insider collusion continue to fuel the menace.
Dr. Uche Anikwe of the Centre for Public Policy Research said, “Ghost workers remain one of the most entrenched forms of corruption in Nigeria’s civil service. It thrives because insiders protect it, and those who speak up face retaliation.”
Civil society organizations, including the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP), have condemned Bello’s detention. The group has called for his immediate release and a thorough investigation into the ghost workers’ allegations.
“This case is a litmus test for Nigeria’s whistleblower protection law,” a SERAP spokesperson said. “If whistleblowers like Mubarak continue to suffer for telling the truth, then our fight against corruption is doomed.”
The Whistleblower Protection Act (2017) was designed to safeguard citizens who expose corruption, but enforcement has remained weak, with many whistleblowers reportedly facing retaliation or threats.
As of now, Mubarak Bello remains in detention awaiting trial. His case, however, has transcended individual suffering becoming a symbol of the larger struggle for integrity within Nigeria’s police system.
Whether Bello is a whistleblower punished for honesty or a suspect hiding behind activism, one thing is clear: his story has reignited public debate on accountability, corruption, and the treatment of truth-tellers in Nigeria.
As the case unfolds, citizens, activists, and the international community continue to ask one pressing question will justice prevail?
