ICPC Uncovers 908 Ghost Workers, Recovers N942m Fraud

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has uncovered 908 suspected ghost workers during a nationwide payroll verification exercise, leading to the recovery of approximately N942 million in fraudulent salaries. ICPC Chairman Musa Adamu Aliyu (SAN) reported that the Nigeria Police Force had the highest number of suspected ghost workers, with 570 individuals identified.

Other affected agencies include the National Water Resources Authority with 80 suspected ghost workers, the Federal Ministry of Works with 56, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs with 24. The Ministry of Defence had 19 suspected ghost workers, while the Federal Ministry of Electricity and the Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment each had 17.

The Federal Ministry of Health recorded 15 suspected ghost workers. The investigation revealed instances of public officials inflating payrolls by including fictitious individuals, including family members, to divert salaries from legitimate workers.