The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has uncovered 908 ghost workers on the federal government’s payroll, with the Nigeria Police Force accounting for the highest number of fraudulent entries among the affected agencies.
The anti-graft agency disclosed that the discovery followed an extensive verification exercise carried out under its payroll monitoring programme aimed at eliminating salary fraud and improving transparency in the management of public funds.
According to the commission, the exercise exposed hundreds of names receiving salaries despite having no legitimate employment records or no longer being in active service.
The ICPC revealed that the Nigeria Police recorded the highest number of ghost workers identified during the audit, while several other Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) also had questionable names on their payrolls.
Officials said the fraudulent payments had resulted in significant financial losses to the Federal Government over the years, with public funds being diverted through salaries paid to non-existent or ineligible workers.
The commission explained that the payroll audit forms part of ongoing efforts to strengthen accountability in government institutions and prevent abuse of the Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information System (IPPIS).
ICPC said investigations are continuing to determine those responsible for inserting the fake names into the payroll system and to establish whether public officials collaborated with external accomplices to sustain the fraud.
The commission warned that individuals found to have facilitated the illegal payments or benefited from the scheme would face prosecution in accordance with the country’s anti-corruption laws.
It also called on all government agencies to regularly update their personnel records and cooperate with verification exercises designed to eliminate payroll irregularities and protect public resources.
The ICPC reaffirmed its commitment to fighting corruption in the public service, stating that efforts to identify ghost workers and recover stolen funds will continue as part of broader reforms to improve efficiency and accountability across government institutions.