N27bn Fraud : Ex-Taraba Gov, Ishaku Gets N150m Bail

Former governor of Taraba State, Darius Ishaku was on Thursday admitted to bail in the sum of N150M by a High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT in the alleged N27 billion fraud brought against him by the federal government.

The former governor was granted the bail by Justice Sylvanus Oriji with two sureties in the same amount with the demand that one of the two sureties must be a director and employee of the federal government.

Similarly, the two sureties must be residents in the FCT with their house addresses to be verified by the Registrar of the Court.

Besides, Justice Oriji barred the former governor and his co-defendant, Bello Yero from traveling out of the country except with the permission of the court.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC through its counsel, Rotimi Jacobs did not oppose the bail request of the former governor on the ground that EFCC on its own, granted him administrative bail and he did not jump the bail.

Justice Oriji after granting the bail, fixed November 4, 5 and 13 for commencement of trial in the alleged fraud.

Ishaku, who left office in 2023 after serving as governor for eight years was slammed with 15 count charges by EFCC but pleaded not guilty when he was arraigned on Monday.

In the copy of the charge sheet dated September 27, the former governor and the former Permanent Secretary of the Bureau for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Bello Yero are the two defendants

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 agency said the amount formed part of the 2.5 per cent contingency funds belonging to the Bureau of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs,
noting 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 a company, Worthy Construction Limited.

Garry Ochigbo, Edited By Grace Namiji