Four former commissioners in Kogi State during the governorship tenure of Idris Wada have been arrested and detained by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) on allegations of misapplication of government funds and abuse of office.

They are Kayode Olowomoran, Commissioner for Culture and Tourism; Abdulrahman Wuya, Commisssioner for Transport; Onama Godwin, Commissioner for Works; and Ali Ajuh, Commissioner for Budget and Planning.

According to a statement issued by Rasheedat Okoduwa, spokesperson of the ICPC, the suspects were arrested after investigations into allegations that they embezzled a loan of N2 billion obtained from the Central Bank of Nigeria under the Small and Medium Enterprises scheme.

The fraud was allegedly carried out “in connivance with the former Governor (Wada), former Accountant-General Ibrahim Idakwo and a former Permanent Secretary in the state Ministry of Commerce, Frank Onoja.”

Investigations by the ICPC revealed that the suspects also took part in the embezzlement of another N8 billion bond that was raised to fund 57 projects across the state.

Large sums of monies released for the projects were allegedly far beyond the levels of work done.

The ICPC further stated that the four suspects also benefited from illegal deductions from funds meant for the 21 local government areas in Kogi State. The total sum that was illegally deducted amounted to about N1.3 billion

The suspects will remain in custody until they fulfill the administrative bail conditions granted them by the Commission, while investigation remains ongoing.

Wada, the former Kogi State Governor, was arrested by the EFCC on November 6 after about N500 million was traced to his account.

The money was said to be part of the N23 billion allegedly disbursed by Diezani Alison-Madueke, former Minister of Petroleum Resources, during the campaigns for the 2015 general election.

He was later released but the EFCC said investigation was ongoing.