Lucky Obukohwo, Reporting
The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has uncovered 908 ghost workers across various federal ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs), recovering approximately N942 million allegedly paid through fraudulent payroll arrangements.
Truth Live News Media quoted BBC Pidgin reports that the ICPC Chairman, Musa Aliyu, disclosed the findings while presenting the outcome of the commission’s investigations reports.
According to Aliyu, the investigation commenced in 2024 following the discovery of irregularities in pension payments.
The probe revealed that some senior public officials allegedly added the names of relatives and associates to government payrolls and diverted the funds for personal benefit.
He disclosed that one suspect allegedly enrolled his wife, son and mother-in-law as government workers while also collecting the salaries of 12 other fictitious employees.
According to him, the investigation covered at least 50 federal MDAs, with the Nigeria Police Force recording the highest number of ghost workers at 570.
He said the National Water Resources Authority had 80 ghost workers, while the Federal Ministry of Works recorded 56.
Aliyu added that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs had 24, the Ministry of Defence 19, while both the Ministry of Power and the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment recorded 17 each.
He further revealed that the Federal Ministry of Health had 15 ghost workers, while the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation recorded 12.
The ICPC chairman added that ghost workers were also discovered within the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation and the Ministry of Interior.
However, he withheld the figures for those institutions, stating that investigations are still ongoing.
The commission described ghost workers as individuals whose names are fraudulently inserted into government payrolls despite not being genuine employees, enabling the diversion of public funds through fictitious salary payments.
