The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has uncovered 908 alleged fake workers across several federal ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs) in a payroll fraud scheme that reportedly siphoned hundreds of millions of naira from government coffers.
The ICPC Chairman, Musa Aliyu, disclosed the development in an interview with BBC Pidgin, stating that the discovery followed a nationwide investigation launched by the anti-graft agency in 2024 after irregularities were detected in pension payments.
According to Aliyu, the commission recovered approximately ₦942 million allegedly linked to fraudulent salary payments made to fictitious employees.
The ICPC described fake workers as individuals whose names are unlawfully inserted into government payroll systems despite not being legitimate employees.
Aliyu said the investigation uncovered instances in which some senior officials allegedly enrolled relatives and associates on government payrolls before diverting the salaries for personal gain.
He disclosed that investigators uncovered one case involving a suspect who allegedly inserted the names of his wife, son and mother-in-law on the payroll while also collecting the salaries of 12 other workers.
The ICPC chairman said the investigation covered at least 50 ministries, departments and agencies, with the number of suspected fake workers varying significantly across the affected institutions.
The Nigeria Police Force recorded the highest number, with 570 suspected fake workers uncovered.
The National Water Resources Authority reportedly had 80, while 56 were identified within the Federal Ministry of Works.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs recorded 24 suspected fake workers, while 19 were uncovered in the Ministry of Defence.
The Ministry of Power and the 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 also had 12 suspected fake workers, according to the ICPC chairman.
Aliyu added that the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation and the Ministry of Interior were among other government institutions where suspected fake workers were discovered.
However, he did not disclose the number of affected names in the two institutions, noting that investigations into the matter were still ongoing.
