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), recovering about N942 million allegedly paid out through the fraudulent payroll scheme.
According to BBC Pidgin, ICPC Chairman Musa Aliyu disclosed that the discovery followed an investigation launched in 2024 after the commission identified irregularities in pension payments.
Aliyu explained that the probe exposed widespread payroll manipulation, with fictitious names allegedly inserted into government salary systems to syphon public funds.
He alleged that some senior public officials enrolled relatives and associates on government payrolls and diverted the salaries for personal use.
The ICPC chairman 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 other workers.
