By Aisha Muhammad Magaji
The Katsina State Government has dismissed 3,488 staff members from its workforce after uncovering widespread irregularities in the state’s payroll system. Officials say the move is part of an ongoing effort to sanitize the civil service, block leakages, and recover stolen public funds.
Announcing the development in Katsina on Tuesday, the state’s Head of Service, Idris Usman Tune, revealed that ₦4.6 million in fraudulent salary payments had been retrieved following an extensive verification exercise carried out across ministries, departments, and agencies.
According to the Head of Service, the dismissed workers were found to be drawing salaries illegally through multiple means including ghost worker schemes, falsified employment records, and double placements.
“The government is determined to rid the civil service of fraudulent practices that drain resources and deny genuine workers their rightful benefits,” Tune said. “This exercise has saved the state millions of naira and will ensure that funds are redirected to critical development projects.”
The verification, which lasted several months, involved physical screening, cross-checking of employment records, and biometric data validation.
Officials estimate that the removal of ghost workers could save the state hundreds of millions annually. With dwindling federal allocations and mounting developmental needs, Katsina has emphasized that cleaning up the payroll is crucial to sustaining fiscal responsibility.
Governor Dikko Umaru Radda, who has made civil service reforms a priority of his administration, praised the verification team for its thoroughness. He stated that the government would not hesitate to prosecute individuals found guilty of perpetuating salary fraud.
The mass dismissal has triggered mixed reactions among citizens. Some applauded the government’s resolve, saying it was long overdue to end payroll manipulation that has plagued the state for years. Others expressed concern that genuine workers may have been wrongly affected by the purge.
A civil servant in Katsina told reporters: “The exercise is good if it removes ghost workers, but the government must ensure innocent people are not punished for errors they did not commit.”
Analysts view the Katsina exercise as part of a broader wave of public sector reforms across Nigeria, where several state governments are deploying technology and verification systems to block leakages in salary payments.
Payroll fraud has long been a persistent challenge in Nigeria’s public service, with billions lost annually to ghost workers and fraudulent salary claims. Federal and state governments have increasingly adopted biometric systems, integrated payroll platforms, and independent audits to combat the problem.
Governor Radda has assured citizens that the government will continue to pursue transparency and accountability in the civil service. He also promised that savings from the payroll clean-up will be redirected toward education, healthcare, infrastructure, and youth empowerment programs.
For many in Katsina, the crackdown represents a test of the administration’s resolve to confront entrenched corruption. As one political analyst put it: “This is a bold step, but the real challenge is ensuring the reforms are sustained, and those guilty are punished to serve as a deterrent.”
