Operatives of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) have arrested a former Commissioner of Finance and Accountant General in Kaduna State, under Nasir el-Rufai’s administration, Shizzer Joy Nasara Bada, at the Lagos Airport.
Bada was reportedly travelling out of the country on Sunday when ICPC operatives apprehended her at the Murtala Muhammed Airport in Lagos.
The ICPC officials said there was rising suspicion of a potential escape in the wake of mounting corruption allegations against the ex-governor el-Rufai, and herself.
Sources close to the government indicated to The Guardian that the ICPC had been tracking Bada’s movements after receiving an intelligence report suggesting that she might leave the country to evade investigation.
The arrest came as part of a broader crackdown on officials who served under el-Rufai’s administration, with multiple figures now under scrutiny for their roles in the alleged financial mismanagement of the state.
Already, el-Rufai has been indicted by the Kaduna State House of Assembly in its committee report of allegedly syphoning N423 billion from the state treasury. While the specific allegations against Bada remain under wraps, insiders believe they are connected to large-scale financial irregularities, including the mismanagement of public funds and alleged embezzlement.
Bada’s arrest has sparked widespread interest, with political observers questioning whether this could be the beginning of a wider probe into the former governor’s administration.
The Commission is expected to provide more details as the investigation unfolds, potentially exposing a web of corruption that could implicate several top figures.
Recall that Nasir El-Rufai, had also initiated a legal action against the Kaduna State House of Assembly following its claim that his administration misappropriated N432 billion during his eight-year tenure, resulting in significant state debt.
A fundamental rights suit was filed at the Federal High Court in Kaduna in June by the former governor’s attorney, Abdulhakeem Mustapha, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria.