The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has uncovered an alleged payroll fraud involving a government official who reportedly placed 14 members of his family on the government payroll.
The commission also uncovered another case involving an individual who allegedly enrolled his wife, children and other relatives as government workers, enabling the family to receive 13 salaries.
The ICPC Chairman, Musa Aliyu, disclosed this on Thursday in Abuja while speaking at the 2026 Economic Confidential Lecture and National Spokespersons Award organised by Image Merchants Promotions Limited.
Aliyu said the commission’s investigation into ghost workers had exposed several ways through which individuals allegedly manipulated government payroll systems, including the insertion of fictitious names and the diversion of salaries into accounts belonging to other people.
According to him, the ICPC has identified about 900 suspected ghost workers and published their names, challenging those affected to prove that they were genuine government employees.
He explained that the investigation, which lasted about a year, uncovered various methods used to manipulate payroll records and siphon public funds.
Aliyu said that in some cases, the name and email address of an alleged employee appeared on the payroll, while the bank account linked to the record belonged to another individual.
He warned that the consequences of ghost-worker fraud went beyond the payment of salaries, noting that fictitious employees could also be used to access pensions, mortgages, housing benefits and health insurance.
The ICPC chairman further disclosed that the commission recovered more than N24 billion linked to ghost pensioners in 2024 as part of efforts to safeguard public resources.
He said the commission was increasingly focusing on preventive measures and interventions designed to block leakages, rather than relying solely on criminal prosecution after public funds had been lost.
Aliyu said the ICPC had recovered or protected government resources through interventions in public projects and other areas, stressing that the ultimate objective was to ensure that taxpayers received value from government expenditure.
He also called for greater use of technology and reliable data in the fight against corruption, saying accurate information would strengthen transparency, accountability and public confidence in government.
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