The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has uncovered alleged cases of ghost workers on government payrolls, including an official who reportedly enrolled 14 family members and another who allegedly received 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 the commission’s investigation exposed how individuals manipulated government payroll systems to receive multiple salaries.
According to him, one official allegedly enrolled 14 members of his family on the government payroll while residing in a religious hotel located within a public office.
“We discovered that one person enrolled 14 members of his family,” Aliyu said.
He added that another individual allegedly enrolled his wife, daughter, son and other relatives on the payroll and received 13 salaries.
The ICPC chairman further disclosed that the commission had identified about 900 suspected ghost workers and published their names, challenging those listed to prove that they were legitimate government employees.
Aliyu said the investigation lasted a year and uncovered how fictitious names were inserted into government payroll systems.
He explained that, in some cases, the names and email addresses of alleged ghost workers appeared on official payrolls, while the corresponding bank accounts were registered in the names of 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,” he explained.
Aliyu warned that payroll fraud could have consequences beyond the payment of salaries, potentially leading to fraudulent pension, mortgage, housing fund and health insurance benefits.
“Once there is a ghost worker, there is ghost pension, there is ghost mortgage, there is ghost housing fund, there is ghost health insurance,” he said.
