Police Top ICPC Ghost Workers List as Probe Uncovers 908 Payroll Fraud Cases, Recovers ₦942m

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has uncovered 908 suspected ghost workers across several federal ministries, departments and agencies, with about ₦942 million recovered in connection with alleged fraudulent payroll payments.

The ICPC Chairman, Musa Adamu Aliyu, disclosed the development while speaking about the commission's investigation into payroll irregularities across federal government institutions.

According to the report, the investigation was launched in 2024 after the anti-corruption agency detected irregularities in pension payments.

The probe subsequently expanded to examine possible manipulation of government payroll systems, leading investigators to identify hundreds of names allegedly inserted into official salary records despite the individuals reportedly not being genuine employees entitled to receive government salaries.

Aliyu said the investigation uncovered what he described as widespread payroll manipulation involving fictitious names and alleged diversion of public funds.

The ICPC chairman alleged that, in some instances, public officials used their positions to place relatives and associates on government payrolls and subsequently benefited from the salaries paid to those names.

He cited one case in which a suspect allegedly enrolled the names of his wife, son and mother-in-law on the government payroll, while also collecting the salaries of 12 other workers.

The ICPC said its investigation has so far covered at least 50 federal ministries, departments and agencies, revealing significant discrepancies in payroll records.

The Nigeria Police Force recorded the highest number of suspected ghost workers identified in the investigation, with 570 cases, according to the ICPC chairman.

The development places the police force at the centre of the commission's ongoing examination of payroll irregularities across federal institutions.

Other institutions reportedly affected include the National Water Resources Authority, where 80 suspected ghost workers were identified.

The Federal Ministry of Works followed with 56, while the Ministry of Foreign Affairs recorded 24 and the Ministry of Defence had 19 suspected cases.

The Ministry of Power and the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment each recorded 17 suspected ghost workers, according to the ICPC.

The Federal Ministry of Health was reported to have 15, while the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation recorded 12.

The ICPC also identified the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation and the Ministry of Interior among the institutions implicated in the wider investigation.

However, the commission has not disclosed the number of suspected ghost workers linked to those two institutions, saying investigations are still ongoing.

The investigation highlights the potential scale of payroll fraud within the public sector, where the insertion of fictitious names into government payroll systems can result in the diversion of public funds that should otherwise be used for salaries, infrastructure and essential public services.

The recovery of approximately ₦942 million, according to the ICPC, represents funds allegedly paid out through the fraudulent payroll arrangements uncovered during the investigation.

However, the commission's findings remain subject to further investigation and, where applicable, prosecution and judicial determination.

The ICPC's latest disclosure also raises questions about the effectiveness of existing mechanisms for verifying public-sector employees and monitoring government payroll systems.

The commission's investigation is expected to continue as it examines additional agencies and traces the flow of funds allegedly linked to the payroll irregularities.

The outcome could lead to further recoveries and possible criminal proceedings against individuals found to have participated in the alleged scheme.

The ICPC has yet to disclose the identities of the officials or individuals allegedly involved in the cases, while investigations into some of the affected institutions remain ongoing.

The scale of the findings, particularly the 570 suspected cases linked to the Nigeria Police Force, is likely to intensify scrutiny of payroll management across federal institutions and renew calls for stronger verification systems to prevent fictitious employees from being added to government salary structures.