Former Governor of Taraba State, Darius Ishaku has been granted bail in the sum of N150 million by a Federal Capital Territory, FCT, High Court in connection with an alleged N27 billion fraud charge.
Gatekeepers News reports that Justice Sylvanus Oriji granted the bail with two sureties in the same amount, with one of the sureties required to be a Federal Government employee of the rank of Director. Both sureties must be residents in the FCT, and the Court Registrar will verify their house addresses.
Justice Oriji has also imposed travel restrictions on the former governor and his co-defendant, Bello Hero, barring them from leaving the country without the court’s permission.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) did not oppose the bail, noting that Ishaku had not jumped bail after being granted administrative bail by the EFCC.
The trial for the alleged fraud is scheduled to commence on November 4, 5, and 13. Ishaku, who served as governor for eight years before leaving office in 2023, pleaded not guilty to the 15 count charges brought against him by the EFCC.
The charges, dated September 27, accuse Ishaku and Bello Yero, the former Permanent Secretary of Bureau for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, of diverting significant sums of money for personal use and loan repayment between 2015 and 2021.
The EFCC alleges that the defendants diverted funds from the Bureau of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, committing a criminal breach of trust.
Theanti-graft agency noted that the duo committed an offence contrary to Section 315 of the Penal Code A, Cap 532, Laws of the Federal Capital Territory of Nigeria 2007 and punishable under the same section.
Ishaku and Yero were also accused of diverting an aggregate sum of N1,138,082, 097.71 which formed part of the 2.5 per cent contingency fund belonging to the Bureau of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs between July 2015 and May 2019.
Also, between September 3, 2015, and January 29, 2018, in Abuja, the defendants were accused of diverting the sum of N761,301,000 to defray the loan of N1bn granted by Zenith Bank Plc. to your company, Worthy Construction Limited.
“That you Ishaku whilst being the Governor of Taraba State and Bello Yero whilst being the Permanent Secretary, Bureau for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Taraba State between July 19, 2019 and February 5, 2021 in Abuja, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, and in such capacity entrusted with dominion over certain property, to wit: an aggregate sum of N3,348,942,411.15, which sum formed part of the funds belonging to Bureau of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Taraba State and Local Government Councils in Taraba State, and you thereby committed criminal breach of trust in respect of the said property, when you dishonestly diverted the said sum to your own use,” the charge sheet partly read.
Other sums that allegedly formed part of the contingency fund diverted by the defendants include N650,686,369.99 between January 6, 2019, and April 29, 2021; N193,030,000 between January 2019 and April 29, 2021; and N170,549,842.00 between January 6, 2019, and April 29, 2021, among others.
