By Abdullahi Sarki
The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has uncovered shocking cases of ghost workers allegedly inserted into government payrolls, including an official who enrolled 14 family members and another who allegedly collected 13 salaries.
ICPC Chairman, Musa Aliyu, disclosed this on Thursday in Abuja while delivering the keynote address at the 2026 Economic Confidential Lecture and National Spokespersons Award, organised by Image Merchants Promotions Limited.
Aliyu said investigations revealed how individuals manipulated payroll systems to receive multiple salaries.
“We discovered that one person enrolled 14 members of his family. He lived in a religious hotel, a hotel at the public office, receiving salaries,” he said.
He added that another individual allegedly enrolled his wife, daughter, son and other relatives, receiving 13 salaries.
“Another person enrolled his wife, his daughter, his son, and others and was receiving 13 salaries,” Aliyu said.
The ICPC chairman revealed that about 900 suspected ghost workers had been identified and their names published, challenging them to prove they were genuine employees.
“We now secured income of about 900 ghost workers, which we published their names in papers,” he said.
Aliyu explained that the commission spent a year investigating the suspected ghost workers, uncovering methods used to insert fictitious names into payrolls. Some entries included email addresses, but the linked bank accounts belonged to other 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,” he explained.
He warned that ghost workers not only inflate salary bills but also create fraudulent entitlements such as pensions, housing, health insurance and other benefits.
“Because, you know, once there is a ghost worker, there is ghost pension, there is ghost mortgage, there is ghost housing fund, there is ghost health insurance,” Aliyu said.
Aliyu noted that the commission recovered more than ₦24 billion in ghost pension funds in 2024. He stressed that ICPC is increasingly focused on prevention and resource recovery rather than relying solely on criminal prosecution.
“It is better for us to do that than to engage in filing criminal charges. How many charges can we file?” he said.
He emphasized the importance of cross-agency collaboration, data, and technology in tackling corruption, adding that effective communication and reliable information are essential to building public confidence in anti-corruption efforts.
Earlier, Chief Executive Officer of IMPR, Yusha’u Shuaib, said the lecture was organised to promote stronger governance through transparency, accountability and professional communication.
“We are honoured to host yet another gathering of leaders, professionals, scholars, and communication experts committed to strengthening governance, promoting transparency, and advancing excellence in public communication,” Shuaib said.
