Police Top List As ICPC Uncovers 908 Fake Workers, Recovers N942m In Payroll Fraud

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has uncovered 908 suspected fake workers across several federal Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), recovering about N942 million allegedly lost to fraudulent salary payments.

According to BBC Pidgin, the Chairman of the ICPC, Musa Aliyu, disclosed that the discovery followed a nationwide investigation launched in 2024 after the commission detected irregularities in pension payments.

According to Aliyu, the investigation exposed widespread payroll fraud involving the insertion of fictitious names into government payrolls, enabling suspects to divert salaries meant for non-existent employees.

He said some senior public officials allegedly exploited the system by enrolling their relatives and associates as government workers to illegally receive salaries.

Aliyu revealed that investigators uncovered a particularly alarming case involving a suspect who allegedly placed the names of his wife, son, and mother-in-law on the government payroll while also collecting salaries for 12 other workers.

The ICPC chairman said the investigation covered at least 50 federal MDAs, with the Nigeria Police Force recording the highest number of suspected fake workers.

According to him, the police accounted for 570 of the 908 suspected ghost workers uncovered during the exercise.

He added that the National Water Resources Authority recorded 80 fake workers, followed by the Federal Ministry of Works with 56.

Other affected institutions include the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, with 24 suspected fake workers; the Ministry of Defence, with 19; and both the Ministry of Power and the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment, with 17 cases each.

The Federal Ministry of Health had 15 suspected fake workers, while the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation recorded 12, Aliyu said.

He further disclosed that the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation and the Ministry of Interior were also implicated in the ongoing investigation, although he did not state the number of suspected fake workers linked to the two institutions.

The ICPC said investigations are still ongoing and additional findings may emerge as the probe progresses.

The commission described fake workers as individuals whose names are fraudulently inserted into government payrolls to facilitate the illegal diversion of public funds, a practice it said continues to undermine transparency and accountability in public service.