The corruption fight that President Buhari promised Nigerians took another twist earlier this week, in Abuja, the capital of Nigeria. Jafaru Isa, a retired soldier and former military governor of Kaduna, was arrested at his residence in Abuja after failing to answer summons by the Nigerian corruption watchdog, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). His arrest is related to the EFCC investigation into a $2.1 billion arms deal fraud in the office of the former National Security Adviser (NSA) to the president.

Jafaru Isa, who is a chieftain in Nigeria’s ruling party, the All Progressives Congress (APC), is also a close friend of President Muhammadu Buhari and former NSA head Sambo Dasuki. According to reports, Jafaru Isa received N100 million from the NSA’s office during the election. This particular piece of news attracts curiosity, as this would make Jafaru Isa the first APC chieftain to be detained in the arms deal fraud investigation. Supporters of the opposition party, the People’s Democratic People (PDP), before now, called the fight against corruption a witch hunt, since it appeared as though only PDP party members were being arrested regarding the arms deal scam.

This latest revelation seems to vindicate President Muhammadu Buhari when he made that now popular statement in his inaugural speech. “I belong to everybody and I belong to nobody” he said boldly, on the 29th of May 2015. People were surprised when Jafaru Isa was not announced, as part of President Buhari’s cabinet in October 2015 because he was known as one of President Buhari’s trusted confidants.  His arrest further suggests that Buhari does not intend to interfere in EFCC’s indictments unlike previous presidents.

However, some have suggested that Jafaru Isa may have used part of the N100 million he received to fund Buhari’s presidential campaign as Buhari has always maintained that his friends funded his presidential campaigns.

Isa’s arrest could suggest that in a quest to rid the country of corruption, friends, enemies and allies, anyone and everyone is fair game. Let’s hope that it works.