The Kano State government has found that 240 of its workers are receiving double salaries, and 217 others are using the same Bank Verification Number (BVN). This shocking discovery was made during a biometric verification exercise and payroll review by two committees focusing on state and local government payments.

Speaking at a press conference on Sunday, Dr. Sulaiman Wali Sani, the Governor’s Special Adviser on Civil Service Matters, said these findings are part of Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf’s promise to clean up the system and ensure workers are paid fully and on time.

Dr. Sani explained that the government found many problems inherited from the previous administration. Some workers were taking two salaries, and others shared BVNs, suggesting ghost workers or identity fraud.

The government also revealed that 1,335 workers have not shown up for verification for over six months. This raised more doubts about the real number of genuine workers on the state’s payroll.

In addition, Alhaji Umar Idi, who heads the Local Government Standing Committee, said they discovered 247 suspicious names on the local government and healthcare payrolls. These included people who had retired, passed away, or had their work time extended without approval. Only eight of them came forward to confirm their status. The government plans to remove the other 239 names, saving about N27.8 million every month.

Dr. Sani stressed that the aim is not to punish anyone but to correct the system. He assured that genuine workers and pensioners will continue to get their full salaries without unexpected cuts.

He added that, thanks to the ongoing cleanup, workers can now expect more transparent and efficient salary payments.