Picnews
The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has uncovered 908 suspected ghost workers across several federal Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), recovering approximately ₦942 million allegedly linked to fraudulent payroll activities.
The development emerged from an extensive investigation launched by the anti-corruption agency following the discovery of irregularities in pension payments in 2024. According to the ICPC Chairman, Musa Aliyu, the probe revealed significant weaknesses in payroll management systems, allegedly exploited by some individuals to illegally access public funds.
Aliyu explained that the investigation uncovered cases where fictitious names were allegedly inserted into government salary databases, allowing unauthorized persons to receive payments meant for legitimate workers.
He noted that the alleged payroll manipulation involved different forms of abuse, including the enrolment of relatives, associates and other unqualified persons into government payroll systems. In some instances, salaries attached to these names were allegedly diverted for personal benefit.
Giving an insight into the scale of the alleged fraud, the ICPC chairman disclosed that one suspect was found to have included the names of his wife, son and mother-in-law on the government payroll while also collecting the salaries of 12 other workers.
The investigation, which covered about 50 federal MDAs, identified the Nigeria Police Force as the institution with the highest number of suspected ghost workers, recording 570 cases.
Other government institutions affected by the alleged payroll irregularities include the National Water Resources Authority, which recorded 80 suspected ghost workers; the Federal Ministry of Works, with 56 cases; the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, with 24 cases; and the Ministry of Defence, with 19 cases.
The ICPC chairman further disclosed that the Ministry of Power and the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment each recorded 17 suspected ghost workers, while the Federal Ministry of Health had 15 cases and the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation recorded 12 cases.
He added that the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation and the Ministry of Interior were also implicated in the ongoing investigation, although the commission has not released the number of affected payroll entries from those institutions as the probe continues.
The discovery highlights the persistent challenge of payroll fraud within the public sector and the financial burden such practices place on government resources. Ghost worker schemes have historically contributed to revenue leakages by diverting funds allocated for genuine employees and reducing the resources available for public services and development programmes.
The ICPC chairman assured Nigerians that the commission would continue to strengthen its monitoring mechanisms, investigate individuals involved in fraudulent payroll practices and ensure that public funds are protected.
He emphasized that ongoing efforts are part of broader measures aimed at promoting transparency, accountability and good governance across federal institutions.
