Kano State Government Uncovers 247 Ghost Workers On Local Government Payroll.
The Kano State Government has uncovered no fewer than 247 ghost workers fraudulently placed on the local government payroll system, with individuals either deceased or long retired from service continuing to receive salaries.
In a statement issued by the Secretary to the State Government, Alhaji Umar Ibrahim Faruq, the discovery was credited to the special committee established by Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf to audit and review the payroll system. The committee’s inauguration followed widespread public outcry over illegal deductions from workers’ salaries and the outright withholding of wages in some cases.
According to a release signed by the Press Secretary, Cabinet Office, Mallam Musa Tanko Muhammad, the committee successfully blocked the sum of ₦27,824,395.40, which had been earmarked to service the fraudulent accounts for March 2025.
“In a prompt and effective response, and while further due diligence is being conducted to determine the extent of this apparent fraud and the perpetrators, the monies recovered will be returned to the Local Government Treasury,” the statement read.
The Government reaffirmed its commitment to purging the payroll system of all irregularities, stressing that those found culpable will be identified and held fully accountable under the law.
The committee, tasked with considering a possible return to the traditional Pay Parade system to enhance transparency, is preparing to commence the exercise. In readiness for the process, March 2025 payroll vouchers have been printed and distributed to all Ministries, Departments, Agencies (MDAs), and Local Government Councils for review and necessary observations.
A full-scale Pay Parade is scheduled to begin on Monday, 28th April 2025, as part of broader efforts to ensure the integrity of the state’s financial management systems.
