Katsina State government has identified 3,488 ghost workers and multiple cases of payroll fraud in a sweeping biometric audit of its 34 local government areas and local education authorities.
Announcing the findings at a State Executive Council meeting, Biometric Screening Committee chairman Abdullahi Gagare revealed that of 50,172 staff screened, only 46,380 were successfully verified.
The rest were removed for offences including fake credentials, falsified birth dates, underage employment, absenteeism, illegal promotions, and even “subletting” of staff positions.
The committee also recovered ₦4.6 million from employees who collected salaries from both state and federal agencies and identified six staff who continued to earn wages while on leave of absence.
In one striking case, the education secretary of Zango Local Education Authority allegedly presented 24 ghost workers for verification.
Governor Umaru Dikko Radda ordered an immediate white paper to implement the committee’s recommendations, vowing that the reforms would redirect funds to grassroots development and save the state from the grip of a few.
“Many warned the committee’s work could hurt my politics and cost me elections, but Katsina needed reforms to free resources for the people,” he said
According to the governor, local governments have already saved ₦500 million, a figure expected to rise to ₦5.7 billion once all fraudulent payments are halted.
The discovery marks one of the largest payroll crackdowns in Katsina’s history and highlights the state’s push for transparency and fiscal discipline.
