ICPC Uncovers Ghost Workers Scheme as Officials Allegedly Receive Multiple Salaries

The ICPC has uncovered suspected ghost workers and payroll manipulation involving government employees, including a case where an official allegedly enrolled 14 members of his family on the public payroll and another individual who reportedly received 13 salaries.

The Chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), Musa Aliyu (SAN), disclosed the findings on Thursday in Abuja while delivering the keynote address at the 2026 Economic Confidential Lecture and National Spokespersons Award organized by Image Merchants Promotions Limited.

According to Aliyu, investigations into ghost workers exposed methods allegedly used to manipulate government payroll systems and divert public funds through fictitious or improperly enrolled employees.

The ICPC chairman said one case involved an individual who allegedly enrolled 14 members of his family on the government payroll.

He stated that another individual allegedly enrolled his wife, daughter, son and other relatives and received a total of 13 salaries.

Aliyu also disclosed that the commission had identified about 900 suspected ghost workers and published their names, challenging those listed to establish that they were genuine government employees.

The chairman said the ICPC subsequently spent about one year investigating the suspected cases and examining how fictitious names were introduced into government payroll systems.

According to him, investigators discovered instances where names appeared on official payrolls alongside email addresses, while the corresponding bank account details were linked to different individuals.

“When they insert their names, you will see their name in the payroll. You will see their email. But when you check the account number, you will see the name of the person. So, that is how these things have been done,” Aliyu explained.

He warned that the impact of payroll fraud could extend beyond salaries, potentially affecting other government-funded benefits such as pensions, housing schemes, mortgages and health insurance.

The ICPC chairman further disclosed that the commission recovered more than ₦24 billion in suspected ghost workers’ pension funds in 2024, describing the recovery as part of efforts to protect public resources.

Aliyu said the commission was increasingly placing emphasis on preventing corruption, securing government resources and ensuring that public projects were properly executed rather than relying exclusively on criminal prosecution.

He argued that preventive intervention could protect public funds before they were lost, asking how many criminal charges could realistically be filed against every case of corruption.

The ICPC chairman also called for greater use of data and technology in the fight against corruption, stressing that reliable information and effective communication were important to improving public confidence in anti-corruption efforts.

Earlier, the Chief Executive Officer of Image Merchants Promotions Limited, Yusha’u Shuaib, said the lecture was designed to encourage stronger governance through transparency, accountability and professional communication.