ICPC Uncovers 908 Fake Workers In Federal MDAs, Recovers N942 Million

ICPC Uncovers 908 Fake Workers in Federal MDAs, Recovers N942 Million The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission ICPC has uncovered 908 fake workers across several federal ministries, departments and agencies MDAs in what it described as a major payroll fraud scheme that diverted hundreds of millions of naira from government coffers. ICPC Chairman, Musa Aliyu (SAN), disclosed the development during an interview with BBC Pidgin, explaining that the discovery followed a nationwide investigation launched in 2024 after the commission detected irregularities in pension payments. The investigation led to the identification of fictitious employees fraudulently inserted into government payrolls. According to the commission, about ₦942 million linked to fraudulent salary payments made to the ghost workers has so far been recovered. ICPC said the funds were siphoned through payroll manipulation involving non-existent employees and other fraudulent entries. The Nigeria Police Force recorded the highest number of suspected fake workers, with 570 names identified on its payroll. Other affected institutions include the National Water Resources Authority with 80, the Federal Ministry of Works with 56, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs with 24, and the Ministry of Defence with 19 suspected ghost workers. The Ministry of Power and the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment each had 17 fake workers, while the Federal Ministry of Health recorded 15. The Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation had 12, while the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation and the Ministry of Interior were also implicated, although the commission did not disclose the number of affected personnel in those institutions because investigations are still ongoing. Aliyu explained that fake workers are individuals whose names are illegally inserted into government payrolls despite not being legitimate public servants. He alleged that some senior officials exploited the system by enrolling relatives and associates as employees and diverting their salaries for personal gain. 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. He noted that the investigation covered at least 50 federal MDAs, with some institutions recording significantly higher levels of payroll fraud than others. The commission reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening accountability in public service and said investigations into the payroll fraud would continue, with those found culpable facing prosecution and other legal sanctions.