The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) says it has uncovered 908 suspected ghost workers across at least 50 federal ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs), with the Nigeria Police Force recording the highest number.
The commission said it also recovered about ₦942 million allegedly paid as fraudulent salaries.
ICPC Chairman, Musa Adamu Aliyu (SAN), disclosed the findings during an update on the commission’s payroll fraud investigation, according to a BBC Pidgin report.
He explained that ghost workers are fictitious names inserted into government payrolls to fraudulently receive salaries, often with the involvement of public officials.
According to the commission, the Nigeria Police Force accounted for 570 suspected ghost workers. Other affected institutions include the National Water Resources Authority with 80, the Federal Ministry of Works with 56, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs with 24, and the Ministry of Defence with 19 suspected ghost workers.
Aliyu also revealed that investigators uncovered a case in which a suspect allegedly placed the names of his wife, son and mother-in-law on the government payroll while fraudulently collecting the salaries of 12 workers.
The ICPC further listed the Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment, the Federal Ministry of Health, the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation, and the Federal Ministry of Interior among institutions affected by the payroll fraud.
