The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) says it has uncovered 908 suspected ghost workers across at least 50 federal ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs) during a nationwide payroll verification exercise.
According to the commission, the investigation led to the recovery of about N942 million allegedly paid out as fraudulent salaries.
Speaking on the findings, ICPC Chairman, Musa Adamu Aliyu (SAN), said the Nigeria Police Force recorded the highest number of suspected ghost workers, with 570 names identified on its payroll.
The National Water Resources Authority followed with 80 suspected ghost workers, while the Federal Ministry of Works had 56. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs recorded 24, and the Ministry of Defence had 19 suspected fake workers.
The Federal Ministry of Electricity and the Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment each recorded 17 suspected ghost workers, while the Federal Ministry of Health had 15. The Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation was found to have 12 suspected fake workers.
The ICPC also listed the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation and the Federal Ministry of Interior among affected institutions but did not disclose the number of suspected ghost workers identified in the two agencies.
Aliyu explained that ghost workers are fictitious names fraudulently inserted into government payrolls to receive salaries. He added that investigators uncovered a 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 workers.
