The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has uncovered 908 suspected ghost workers across federal Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) and recovered about ₦942 million linked to payroll fraud.
Nigeria Police Force tops list of MDAs with ghost workers
The anti-corruption agency said the Nigeria Police Force recorded the highest number of suspected ghost workers, with 570 names flagged during its investigation into irregularities in the federal government payroll system.
ICPC Chairman, Dr Musa Adamu Aliyu (SAN), disclosed the findings while providing an update on the commission’s investigation into fraudulent practices involving government payrolls.
Breakdown of suspected ghost workers by MDA
The breakdown of suspected ghost workers identified in some MDAs includes:
- Nigeria Police Force — 570
- National Water Resources Authority — 80
- Federal Ministry of Works — 56
- Ministry of Foreign Affairs — 24
- Ministry of Defence — 19
- Federal Ministry of Electricity — 17
- Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment — 17
- Federal Ministry of Health — 15
- Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation — 12
How the fraud was carried out
ICPC said the suspected ghost workers were uncovered as part of efforts to detect payroll manipulation, where fictitious names are allegedly inserted into government salary records to divert public funds.
The commission also revealed that some cases involved individuals allegedly adding relatives and other persons to the government payroll despite them not being legitimate government employees. In one case highlighted by ICPC, a suspect allegedly inserted his wife, son and mother-in-law into the payroll system and received salaries linked to multiple fictitious workers.
Recovered funds and ongoing investigations
The commission said the recovered ₦942 million was connected to investigations into fraudulent activities involving the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS).
ICPC said the recovery and identification of suspected ghost workers were part of ongoing efforts to block leakages in government expenditure and ensure that public funds are used for legitimate employees and government programmes.
The commission added that investigations are still ongoing, with possible prosecution of individuals found responsible for payroll fraud.
