The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) says it has uncovered 908 ghost workers across several federal ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs), with the Nigeria Police Force accounting for the highest number of fraudulent entries.
The anti-corruption agency said the payroll fraud, uncovered during an ongoing investigation, led to the alleged diversion of hundreds of millions of naira in public funds through salaries paid to non-existent employees.
ICPC Chairman, Musa Aliyu, disclosed that the commission has so far recovered about N942 million linked to the fraudulent salary payments.
According to him, the investigation was launched in 2024 after the commission identified suspicious irregularities in pension payments, which later exposed a wider payroll fraud scheme across multiple government institutions.
The commission said investigations are continuing and assured that all those found culpable would be prosecuted in line with the law as part of efforts to strengthen accountability and safeguard public resources.
