ICPC Recovers N24bn From Ghost Workers, Over 900 Accounts Forfeited
The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has recovered more than N24 billion linked to ghost workers’ pensions and secured forfeiture orders involving over 900 suspected ghost workers, as part of its efforts to curb leakages in public spending.
The Chairman of the ICPC, Dr Musa Adamu Aliyu, SAN, disclosed this on Thursday in Abuja while delivering the keynote address at the 4th Economic Confidential Lecture and 6th National Spokespersons Award 2026, organised by Image Merchants Promotions Limited (IMPR), publishers of PRNigeria, Economic Confidential and Spokespersons Digest.
Speaking on the theme, “Anti-corruption Reforms, Economic Stability and Effective Communication,” Aliyu said the Commission’s anti-corruption efforts had extended beyond prosecuting individual cases to identifying and blocking systemic leakages capable of weakening the economy.
He said one of the areas targeted by the Commission was the public payroll and pension system, where investigations uncovered widespread abuse involving ghost workers and pension beneficiaries.
“When I assumed office, I made it clear that we would not limit ourselves to small cases. We recovered government land and instituted criminal charges. I said, let it take 20 years, let them appeal, but at least Nigerians will recover their property,” he said.
The ICPC chairman disclosed that in 2024, the Commission recovered more than N24 billion from ghost workers’ pensions after uncovering irregularities in the system.
He said further investigations revealed cases in which individuals enrolled family members and even private establishments as public workers to fraudulently access government salaries and pensions.
“In 2024, we recovered over ₦24 billion in ghost workers’ pensions. After that, we went after ghost workers themselves. We discovered alarming cases: one person enrolled 14 members of his family; another enrolled his hotel as a public officer; another was collecting 13 salaries for his wife, children, and relatives,” Aliyu said.
According to him, the Commission subsequently secured interim forfeiture orders involving more than 900 suspected ghost workers and published their names to give those affected an opportunity to challenge the action.
*For one year, not a single person appeared. The court then granted final forfeiture, and we recovered over ₦100 million from their accounts,” he said.
Aliyu said the scale of the fraud demonstrated how corruption in the public service could have consequences far beyond the immediate loss of government funds.
He explained that ghost workers and fraudulent pension claims consume resources that could otherwise be used to employ genuine workers, pay legitimate retirees and provide essential public services.
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“Where there are ghost workers, there are also ghost pensions, ghost mortgages, and ghost health insurance — all drawing deductions. Tell me, how will genuine retirees be paid when the system is clogged with fraud? They won’t, because the resources have already been stolen. This is how corruption affects our economy,” he said.
The ICPC chairman also warned that corruption-induced leakages could contribute to unemployment, inequality and insecurity by depriving government of resources needed for development.
Aliyu said corruption should not be presented as a problem peculiar to Nigeria, noting that countries around the world had continued to confront the abuse of entrusted power.
He cited the Siemens bribery scandal and the Odebrecht corruption case in Brazil as examples of major international corruption cases involving public officials and multinational companies.
“For the purpose of this speech, I will adopt the definition of corruption as: the abuse of entrusted power for private gain, often involving monopoly and unchecked discretion. That, in essence, is corruption,” he said.
The ICPC chairman also identified effective communication as an important component of the fight against corruption, urging communication professionals to help the public understand the consequences of corruption and the work being done by anti-graft agencies.
He acknowledged that credibility remained one of the biggest challenges confronting anti-corruption institutions, saying public confidence would improve when agencies consistently presented evidence and data to support their claims.
“The issue of effective communication is also critical. We must communicate to the public so that they understand the evil of corruption and can help us fight it. One of our biggest challenges is credibility. People doubt what we say,” he said. “That is fine. As long as we present facts backed by data, the public will know the truth.”
Aliyu said the fight against corruption also required the use of technology and artificial intelligence, as well as stronger diplomatic cooperation and intelligence sharing among anti-corruption agencies across countries.
Earlier, the Chief Executive Officer of IMPR, Yusha’u A. 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.
He noted that the event marked the fourth edition of the Economic Confidential Lecture and the sixth National Spokespersons Award, which recognises professionalism, excellence and integrity in public communication.
Shuaib also announced the unveiling of a book titled MNI versus MNIPR in NIPSS: Tackling Institutional Bullying and a research project titled AI in Crisis Communication in Nigeria: Challenges and Prospects.
He said the research project had been shortlisted for the 2026 Golden World Award in the categories of Best Publication of the Year and Best Campaign in AI in Crisis Management.
The event, chaired by the President of the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR), Dr Ike Neliaku, also featured awards recognising outstanding spokespersons in the public and private sectors across Nigeria.
