From Victor Osula, Abuja
The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has uncovered a massive payroll fraud scheme involving 908 alleged ghost workers across at least 50 Federal Government Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), with investigators recovering about ₦942 million believed to have been fraudulently paid out as salaries.
The findings represent one of the most extensive ghost worker investigations in recent years and come as the Federal Government intensifies efforts to eliminate payroll fraud, improve transparency in public finance and block revenue leakages through reforms such as the Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information System (IPPIS). Successive administrations have repeatedly launched verification exercises after audit reports revealed that thousands of fictitious names had been inserted into government payrolls, costing the country billions of naira over the years.
The latest investigation, launched by the ICPC in 2024, was triggered after investigators detected suspicious irregularities in pension payments, prompting a broader examination of salary records across federal institutions.
Speaking to BBC Pidgin, ICPC Chairman, Musa Aliyu (SAN), explained that ghost workers are individuals whose names are fraudulently inserted into government payroll systems despite not being legitimate employees.
According to Aliyu, investigators uncovered elaborate schemes used to divert public funds, including one case where a suspect allegedly enrolled his wife, son and mother-in-law on the payroll while also collecting the salaries of 12 legitimate government workers.
The commission disclosed that the Nigeria Police Force recorded the highest number of alleged ghost workers, with 570 names identified during the investigation.
The National Water Resources Authority followed with 80 alleged fake workers, while the Federal Ministry of Works ranked third with 56 suspected ghost workers uncovered during the payroll verification exercise.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs recorded 24 alleged ghost workers, while the Ministry of Defence completed the top five with 19.
Other affected institutions include the Federal Ministry of Electricity and the Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment, each with 17 alleged ghost workers; the Federal Ministry of Health with 15; the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation with 12, as well as the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation and the Federal Ministry of Interior.
The ICPC said the payroll verification exercise forms part of a broader anti-corruption campaign aimed at sanitising the Federal Government’s payroll system and preventing the diversion of public funds.
The commission noted that the ₦942 million recovered represents funds allegedly paid to non-existent employees and said investigations remain ongoing to identify additional suspects, recover more stolen funds and prosecute all those involved.
The anti-graft agency reaffirmed its commitment to dismantling payroll fraud networks within the public service, warning that officials found culpable would face prosecution.
