(ICPC. Photo by Naija)
The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission has identified instances of fictitious employees allegedly inserted into government wage systems, including one official who registered 14 family members and another who reportedly accessed 13 separate salary payments.
The ICPC leadership disclosed this during delivery of a keynote address at a lecture event in Abuja on Thursday.
The commission’s investigation into fraudulent payroll schemes has exposed how persons exploited government payment systems to obtain multiple compensations.
One identified case involved an individual who enrolled 14 family members whilst residing at a private residential facility within a government office, all receiving salaries.
Another case involved someone who registered his spouse, child, offspring and other relatives whilst collecting 13 salary disbursements.
The commission identified approximately 900 suspected fictitious workers and published their identities, challenging them to demonstrate legitimate employment status.
Following publication, the commission conducted year-long investigations into the suspects, revealing techniques used to embed false names into official wage registers.
In several instances, the alleged fictitious employees appeared on payroll documents with assigned email addresses, though bank account details corresponded to different individuals.
The commission noted that fraudulent payroll entries created cascading consequences beyond salary fraud, encompassing fictitious pensions, housing allowances, health coverage and other benefits.
The commission recovered more than N24 billion in fraudulent pension funds during 2024 through interventions in payroll schemes.
Leadership stressed that protective measures for public finances strengthened economic stability, emphasising that fraudulent practices imposed supplementary expenses on the nation.
The commission has adopted collaborative approaches across agencies and preventive tactics to address corruption and retrieve government finances.
Leadership indicated preference for proactive interventions in projects and operations over exclusively pursuing criminal charges, stating that ensuring Nigerians benefit from public spending represented the fundamental objective.
The commission advocated expanded utilisation of information systems and analytical tools to combat fraud, noting that transparent communication and accessible reliable data strengthened public confidence in anti-corruption initiatives.
