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), identifying the Nigeria Police Force as the institution with the highest number of alleged fraudulent payroll entries.
ICPC Chairman Musa Adamu Aliyu (SAN) disclosed the findings while providing an update on the commission’s nationwide payroll fraud investigation, revealing that approximately ₦942 million allegedly paid as fraudulent salaries has so far been recovered.
The investigation, launched in 2024, followed irregularities detected during the verification of government payroll and pension records.
According to the commission, ghost workers are fictitious names fraudulently inserted into government payroll systems to siphon public funds. In some cases, officials allegedly add relatives or associates who are not legitimate employees while collecting the salaries themselves.
Aliyu cited one case in which a suspect allegedly placed the names of his wife, son and mother-in-law on the payroll while also collecting the salaries of 12 workers.
The Nigeria Police Force recorded 570 suspected ghost workers, the highest among all institutions examined.
The National Water Resources Authority followed with 80 suspected ghost workers, while the Federal Ministry of Works recorded 56.
The Federal Ministry of Foreign Affairs had 24 suspected cases, the Ministry of Defence recorded 19, while the Federal Ministry of Power (Electricity) and the Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment each had 17.
The Federal Ministry of Health recorded 15 suspected ghost workers, while the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation had 12.
The ICPC also listed the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation and the Federal Ministry of Interior among institutions affected by the ongoing investigation but did not disclose the number of suspected ghost workers linked to the two offices because inquiries are continuing.
The findings highlight the federal government’s ongoing efforts to strengthen payroll integrity and eliminate fraudulent salary payments within the public service.
Payroll fraud has remained a recurring challenge in Nigeria’s public sector, prompting repeated verification exercises designed to remove fictitious employees and reduce financial leakages.
The commission said investigations remain ongoing, with additional recoveries and possible prosecutions expected as more agencies complete the verification process.
