The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has uncovered no fewer than 908 ghost workers across at least 50 federal Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) and frozen about ₦942 million suspected to be proceeds of fraudulent salary payments.
The Chairman of the ICPC, Dr Musa Aliyu (SAN), disclosed this during an interview with BBC Pidgin, saying the discovery was made following a nationwide investigation launched in 2024 after the commission detected irregularities in pension and payroll payments.
According to him, the probe uncovered an extensive payroll fraud scheme involving fictitious employees whose salaries were allegedly diverted into private accounts by corrupt officials.
Ghost workers are non-existent employees fraudulently inserted into government payroll systems, enabling perpetrators to siphon public funds through illegal salary payments.
Aliyu said investigations revealed several cases of abuse of the payroll system, including one suspect who allegedly enrolled his wife, son and mother-in-law as government employees and collected salaries on their behalf while also receiving payments meant for 12 legitimate workers.
“The investigation exposed a widespread network of payroll fraud involving fictitious names and illegal salary payments across several government institutions,” the ICPC chairman said.
The Nigeria Police Force recorded the highest number of suspected ghost workers, with 570 names identified during the exercise. The National Water Resources Authority followed with 80 suspected ghost workers, while the Federal Ministry of Works accounted for 56 cases.
Other agencies affected by the fraud include the Ministry of Foreign Affairs with 24 cases, the Ministry of Defence with 19, while the Ministries of Electricity and Trade and Investment recorded 17 cases each.
The Ministry of Health was found to have 15 suspected ghost workers, while the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation recorded 12 cases.
The Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation and the Ministry of Interior were also listed among agencies affected by the payroll fraud.
The anti-corruption agency disclosed that about ₦942 million linked to the fraudulent payments has been frozen pending the conclusion of investigations and possible prosecution of those involved.
Aliyu vowed that the commission would ensure all individuals implicated in the fraud face the full weight of the law.
“Those responsible will be prosecuted. We are determined to recover public funds and strengthen accountability in the management of government payrolls,” he said.
The latest discovery comes amid ongoing efforts by the Federal Government to eliminate payroll fraud through the Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information System (IPPIS) and other public sector reforms aimed at blocking leakages and improving transparency in personnel administration.
Over the years, anti-graft agencies have uncovered thousands of ghost workers across federal and state institutions, leading to the recovery of billions of naira and the removal of fictitious names from government payrolls.
Analysts say the latest findings underscore the persistence of payroll fraud in the public service despite reforms and highlight the need for stronger verification mechanisms, periodic personnel audits and stricter sanctions against public officials involved in financial misconduct.
The ICPC said investigations are ongoing and more recoveries could be made as the commission expands its probe into payroll and pension administration across government institutions.
