ICPC Uncovers 908 Ghost Workers, Recovers ₦942m From Payroll
Nigeria's anti-graft agency, the ICPC, has uncovered 908 ghost workers across 50 federal agencies, leading to the recovery of ₦942 million. The investigation revealed systemic weaknesses in the government's payroll system that allowed officials to divert funds to associates.
Why it matters
This discovery highlights ongoing efforts to combat corruption and fiscal mismanagement within the Nigerian public sector, which is essential for economic reform.
The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) says it has uncovered 908 ghost workers across at least 50 federal Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), exposing a major payroll fraud that allegedly led to the diversion of hundreds of millions of naira.
The anti-graft agency said it recovered about ₦942 million linked to fraudulent salary payments made to the fictitious workers.
ICPC Chairman Musa Aliyu disclosed that the discovery followed an investigation launched in 2024 after the commission detected irregularities in pension payments.
According to him, the probe exposed serious weaknesses in the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS) and uncovered cases in which senior government officials allegedly inserted the names of relatives and associates into the federal payroll, despite them not being legitimate employees, before diverting the salaries for personal gain.
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