Katsina Govt Dismisses 3,488 Workers Over Salary Fraud, Recovers ₦4.6 Million

The Katsina State Government has dismissed 3,488 workers from across the state’s 34 local government councils and Local Education Authorities (LEAs) after a comprehensive biometric screening uncovered widespread payroll fraud.

Governor Dikko Umaru Radda received the report from the screening committee during the State Executive Council meeting on Wednesday. He revealed that the exercise exposed multiple cases of ghost workers, forged documents, absenteeism, and unauthorized promotions.

Out of 50,172 staff screened, only 46,380 were verified, while the remainder were flagged for presenting fake credentials, failing to appear for screening, or engaging in other fraudulent practices.

The committee also recovered ₦4.6 million from individuals who were either receiving double salaries or drawing pay while on leave of absence.

Committee chairman Abdullahi A. Gagare highlighted one major incident involving the Education Secretary of Zango LEA, who was found to have fraudulently inserted 24 ghost workers into the payroll. Gagare described it as a “serious breach of trust.”

Governor Radda emphasized that the exercise resulted in the creation of Katsina’s first unified digital database for local government and LEA personnel—an important step toward transparency and accountability.

He projected that, if fully implemented, the recommendations could help the state save up to ₦453.3 million monthly and ₦5.7 billion annually.

“Despite receiving high revenue allocations, many local councils still struggle to pay salaries due to bloated and fraudulent wage bills. These reforms are crucial to free up funds for genuine grassroots development,” the governor stated.

He added that a White Paper would be issued to guide the full implementation of the committee’s findings.

The biometric screening was conducted by a 10-member committee comprising retired permanent secretaries, directors, and security officials, with support from 16 co-opted members.