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ICPC Uncovers 908 Ghost Workers, Recovers ₦942 Million in Massive Payroll Fraud Across Federal MDAs
ICPC Uncovers 908 Ghost Workers, Recovers ₦942 Million in Massive Payroll Fraud Across Federal MDAs
…as Nigeria Police Force Records Highest Number of Ghost Workers at 570
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The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has uncovered 908 ghost workers across several federal Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), recovering about ₦942 million allegedly siphoned through a fraudulent government payroll scheme.
ICPC Chairman, Musa Aliyu, revealed the findings while speaking on the outcome of the commission’s investigation, according to BBC Pidgin. He explained that the probe commenced in 2024 after authorities detected irregularities in pension payments, prompting a wider investigation into payroll practices across federal institutions.
According to the ICPC boss, investigators discovered that some senior public officials allegedly manipulated government payroll systems by inserting the names of relatives and associates as fictitious employees and diverting the salaries into private accounts.
One of the suspects, he disclosed, allegedly enrolled his wife, son and mother-in-law as government workers while also collecting salaries meant for 12 other non-existent employees, highlighting the scale and sophistication of the fraud.
The investigation covered at least 50 federal MDAs, with the Nigeria Police Force recording the highest number of ghost workers at 570.
Other agencies affected include the National Water Resources Authority, which recorded 80 ghost workers, while the Federal Ministry of Works had 56.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs recorded 24 ghost workers, followed by the Ministry of Defence with 19. Both the Ministry of Power and the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment each had 17 ghost workers.
The Federal Ministry of Health accounted for 15 ghost workers, while the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation recorded 12.
Aliyu further disclosed that ghost workers were also uncovered in the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation and the Ministry of Interior, although he declined to reveal the figures for those institutions, explaining that investigations are still ongoing.
The ICPC described ghost workers as individuals whose names are illegally inserted into government payrolls despite not being legitimate employees, enabling fraudsters to divert public funds through fictitious salary payments.
The latest discovery underscores the commission’s ongoing efforts to strengthen accountability in public service and eliminate payroll fraud that continues to drain government resources.
