The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) says it has uncovered ghost worker schemes involving government payrolls. ICPC Chairman Musa Aliyu reports that one official allegedly enrolled 14 family members on the payroll, while another allegedly collected 13 salaries, according to the commission.
Aliyu says the investigation, conducted over about a year, finds manipulation of payroll systems to receive multiple payments. He adds that the ICPC identified around 900 suspected ghost workers and published their names, giving those listed a chance to prove they are genuine employees. The reports also describe instances where payroll records show email addresses, but the corresponding bank accounts belong to different people.
Across the outlets, the main differing emphasis is on the examples cited and the broader consequences. All mention the two family-linked payroll cases and the existence of ghost workers. Legit.ng highlights recovery related to ghost pension funds in 2024, while Nigerian Eye and The Punch focus more on the payroll insertion methods and the wider range of claims that can be generated, including pensions and other benefits. The ICPC presents these findings as a prompt for preventive measures and improved data controls.
