Nigeria: August 16, 2001

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Nigeria has ordered military paymasters to crack down on non-existent soldiers who, amazingly, still draw their pay. What happens, of course, is that the commanders simply report a given number of troops, pay a smaller number of actual troops, and pocket the difference. New procedures require each soldier to present himself to a paymaster and for the paymaster to create a document listing the soldier's identification and other information.--Stephen V Cole