JUST IN: Committee Recommends Investigation of El-Rufai for Office Misconduct, Money Laundering

The ad hoc committee set up by the Kaduna State House of Assembly to scrutinize finances, loans, and contracts awarded under former Governor Nasir El-Rufai has submitted its findings, recommending a probe into allegations of abuse of office and money laundering.

During a plenary session on Wednesday, committee chairman Henry Zacharia revealed that many loans obtained during El-Rufai’s tenure were misappropriated and not utilized for their intended purposes. Furthermore, he noted instances where due process was not followed in securing these loans.

In response to the report, Speaker Yusuf Liman disclosed that the El-Rufai administration siphoned a total of N423 billion, leaving the state with substantial liabilities. Consequently, the committee has called for thorough investigations and prosecutions by security and anti-corruption agencies.

The recommended investigations target El-Rufai and several of his cabinet members for alleged contract awards without due process, diversion of public funds, and extensive money laundering. The committee also proposed the immediate suspension of Shizer Badda, the current Kaduna State Commissioner of Finance who held the same position under El-Rufai, along with the chairman of the State Universal Basic Education Board.