ICPC Recovers N942m In Salaries Paid To 908 Ghost Workers
The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has uncovered 908 ghost workers across at least 50 federal ministries and agencies, recovering approximately N942m in fraudulent salary payments made to individuals who never existed as legitimate government employees.
According to a BBC Pidgin report published on Wednesday, ICPC Chairman Musa Aliyu, SAN, confirmed to the BBC that the investigation was launched in 2024 after the commission detected fraudulent pension payments.
The ghost workers were found to have been listed on government payrolls and paid salaries without ever reporting for work, with the funds diverted into the accounts of those who planted their names.
The report also quoted Barrister Musa Adamu as saying the investigation uncovered one individual who had placed the names of his wife, son and mother-in-law on the government payroll while collecting the salaries of 12 other ghost workers.
Aliyu further disclosed that the investigation identified 570 suspected ghost workers in the Nigeria Police Force, the highest number recorded among the affected ministries and agencies.
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The National Water Resources Authority followed with 80, the Federal Ministry of Works with 56, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs with 24, and the Ministry of Defence with 19.
Other affected institutions include the ministries of Electricity, Trade and Investment, Health, the Office of the Head of Service, the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation, and the Ministry of Interior.
The commission said it had seized funds connected to the fraudulent payments and that the investigation was ongoing.