ICPC Uncovers 908 Ghost Workers in Federal MDAs, Recovers ₦942 Million

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has revealed that it uncovered 908 suspected ghost workers across at least 50 federal Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), recovering approximately ₦942 million in salaries allegedly paid fraudulently.

Speaking on the findings of the commission’s nationwide payroll verification exercise, ICPC Chairman, Musa Adamu Aliyu (SAN), disclosed that the Nigeria Police Force recorded the highest number of suspected ghost workers among all the affected institutions. According to him, investigators identified 570 individuals allegedly receiving salaries despite not being legitimate employees of the force.

The commission explained that ghost workers are fictitious names or ineligible individuals illegally inserted into government payroll systems to collect salaries. In some cases, public officials allegedly add relatives or associates to payrolls or continue receiving salaries on behalf of non-existent employees.

Aliyu cited one investigation in which a suspect allegedly placed the names of his wife, son and mother-in-law on the government payroll while also collecting the salaries of 12 other workers, highlighting the scale and sophistication of payroll fraud within some public institutions.

Beyond the Nigeria Police Force, the National Water Resources Authority was found to have 80 suspected ghost workers, while the Federal Ministry of Works recorded 56. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs had 24 suspected cases, followed by the Ministry of Defence with 19. The Federal Ministry of Electricity and the Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment each recorded 17 suspected ghost workers, while the Federal Ministry of Health had 15. The Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation was also listed with 12 suspected ghost workers.

The ICPC further named the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation and the Federal Ministry of Interior among agencies affected by the payroll fraud, although it did not disclose the number of suspected ghost workers identified in those institutions.

According to the anti-corruption agency, the payroll fraud investigation began in 2024 and remains ongoing, with additional reviews expected as efforts continue to eliminate fraudulent salary payments and strengthen accountability across the federal public service.