The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission has uncovered 908 suspected ghost workers across at least 50 federal ministries, departments and agencies, with the Nigeria Police Force accounting for the largest share of the names identified during an ongoing nationwide payroll verification exercise. The anti-graft agency said the investigation has also led to the recovery of about ₦942 million believed to have been paid out as fraudulent salaries.
According to the commission, the payroll audit forms part of a wider crackdown on salary fraud within the Federal Government, targeting fictitious employees and other irregular entries used to divert public funds. The exercise, which began in 2024, remains ongoing as investigators continue to examine personnel records across government institutions.
The ICPC disclosed that the Nigeria Police Force had 570 suspected ghost workers, making it the most affected institution identified so far. Brandspur Politics reports that the National Water Resources Authority followed with 80 suspected fake employees, while the Federal Ministry of Works recorded 56. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs had 24 suspected ghost workers and the Ministry of Defence accounted for 19.
Further findings showed that the Federal Ministry of Electricity and the Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment each had 17 suspected fake workers, while the Federal Ministry of Health recorded 15. The Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation was found to have 12 suspected ghost workers. Although the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation and the Federal Ministry of Interior were also listed among affected institutions, the commission did not disclose the number of suspected cases linked to the two offices.
The anti-corruption agency also revealed that investigators uncovered individual cases in which public officials allegedly inserted relatives into the government payroll while collecting salaries on behalf of multiple workers. The commission said the ongoing investigation is expected to identify additional irregularities, strengthen payroll integrity and curb the diversion of public funds through fraudulent salary payments across federal institutions.
