The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) says it has uncovered 908 suspected ghost workers across several federal ministries, departments and agencies, recovering about N942 million allegedly siphoned through a fraudulent payroll scheme.
ICPC Chairman, Musa Aliyu, disclosed this while speaking on the outcome of an investigation launched in 2024 after the commission detected irregularities in pension payments.
According to Aliyu, the probe uncovered widespread payroll fraud involving the insertion of fictitious names into government salary systems to divert public funds.
He alleged that some senior public officials enlisted relatives and associates on government payrolls and collected the salaries for personal gain.
Aliyu cited a case in which a suspect allegedly placed his wife, son and mother-in-law on the government payroll while also receiving the salaries of 12 other workers.
The ICPC chairman said the investigation covered no fewer than 50 federal MDAs, with the Nigeria Police Force recording the highest number of suspected ghost workers at 570.
He said the National Water Resources Authority had 80 suspected ghost workers, followed by the Federal Ministry of Works with 56, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs with 24, and the Ministry of Defence with 19.
Aliyu added 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 and the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation had 12.
He further revealed that the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation and the Ministry of Interior were also implicated in the investigation, but the commission did not disclose the number of affected names in those institutions as investigations are still ongoing.
Titilope Adako is a talented and intrepid journalist, dedicated to shedding light on the untold stories of Osun State and Nigeria. Through incisive reporting, she tackles a broad spectrum of topics, from politics and social justice to culture and entertainment, with a commitment to accuracy, empathy, and inspiring positive change.
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