Nigeria Police Force tops ghost worker chart with 570 of 908 fictitious names — ICPC

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission has uncovered 908 ghost workers across at least 50 federal ministries, departments and agencies, recovering approximately N942 million in fraudulently paid salaries following an investigation launched in 2024 after irregularities were detected in pension payments.

They were on the payroll. They just didn’t exist.

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission has blown open one of Nigeria’s most brazen public sector fraud schemes, uncovering 908 ghost workers across at least 50 federal ministries, departments and agencies and recovering approximately N942 million in stolen salary payments.

As reported by BBC Pidgin, ICPC Chairman Musa Aliyu disclosed that the investigation began in 2024 after the commission detected irregularities in pension payments. What followed was a trail of fictitious names inserted into government payroll systems, senior officials enrolling relatives and associates to collect salaries, and millions of naira quietly diverted into private pockets.

One case stood out for its sheer audacity. A suspect allegedly placed his wife, son and mother-in-law on the government payroll — and was simultaneously collecting the salaries of 12 other phantom workers.

The Nigeria Police Force recorded the highest concentration of ghost workers, with 570 fictitious names identified. The National Water Resources Authority followed with 80, the Federal Ministry of Works had 56, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs recorded 24 and the Ministry of Defence had 19. The Ministry of Power and the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment each recorded 17, the Federal Ministry of Health had 15 and the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation had 12.

The Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation and the Ministry of Interior were also implicated, though the ICPC withheld specific figures for those institutions as investigations continue.

The figures paint a picture of systemic payroll manipulation embedded across Nigeria’s federal bureaucracy — from frontline security institutions to core economic ministries and civil service oversight bodies.

The ICPC says the investigation is ongoing.