The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has uncovered 908 suspected ghost workers across federal ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs), recovering about ₦942 million allegedly paid as fraudulent salaries.
ICPC Chairman, Musa Aliyu, said the discovery followed an investigation launched in 2024 after the commission detected irregularities in pension payments.
According to him, the probe revealed widespread payroll fraud involving fictitious employees whose names were illegally inserted into government payrolls to siphon public funds.
Aliyu alleged that some senior officials enrolled relatives and associates as ghost workers and diverted their salaries. In one case, a suspect allegedly placed the names of his wife, son and mother-in-law on the payroll while also collecting the salaries of 12 other fictitious workers.
The investigation covered at least 50 federal MDAs, with the Nigeria Police Force recording the highest number of suspected ghost workers at 570.
Other affected institutions include the National Water Resources Authority (80), the Federal Ministry of Works (56), the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (24), the Ministry of Defence (19), the Ministries of Power and Industry, Trade and Investment (17 each), the Federal Ministry of Health (15), and the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation (12).
Aliyu added that the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation and the Ministry of Interior were also implicated, although the number of suspected ghost workers in those institutions was not disclosed as investigations continue.