Ishaku, who left office in 2023 after serving as governor for eight years, was slammed with 15 count charges by the EFCC
By Kehinde Okeowo
A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja on Thursday granted bail in the sum of N150 million to former governor of Taraba State, Darius Ishaku after the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) brought a N27 billion fraud charge against him.
Ishaku, who left office in 2023 after serving as governor for eight years had earlier pleaded not guilty after the anti graft agency slammed him with 15 count charges when he was arraigned on Monday.
According to the charge sheet dated September 27, the former governor and the former Permanent Secretary of Bureau for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Bello Yero, are the two defendants in the case.
In the charge marked CR/792/24, the EFCC accused the defendants of diverting the sum of N1,010,000,000 to their personal use between August 25, 2015, and March 21, 2016, in Abuja.
The EFCC 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.
“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.
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However, after the case came up for hearing, Ishaku was granted a bail by Justice Sylvanus Oriji with two sureties in the same amount.
The judge ordered that one of the two sureties must be a Federal Government employee of the rank of Director.
In addition, he added that the two sureties must be residents in the FCT with their house addresses to be verified by the Registrar of the Court.
Besides this, Justice Oriji barred the former governor and his co-defendant, Bello Hero, from traveling out of the country except with the permission of the court.
The EFCC while reacting to the verdict through its counsel, Rotimi Jacobs did not object the bail.
Jacobs noted that the agency had on its own granted Ishaku administrative bail and he did not jump bail.
Justice Oriji, thereafter, fixed November 4, 5 and 13 for commencement of trial in the alleged fraud.
