In the trial of Darius Ishaku, the former governor of Taraba State, over an alleged ₦27 billion fraud, the third witness from the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) admitted before the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) that he personally received several large sums of money while Ishaku was in office.
During Ishaku’s administration, senior government officials allegedly deposited large quantities of money into Mr. Taiwo Jones’s personal bank accounts at random, according to the witness’ testimony presented Tuesday before the High Court.
A former Permanent Secretary of the Bureau of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Bello Yero, and Ishaku are currently facing 15 counts of criminal breach of trust, conspiracy, and misappropriation of public funds totalling ₦27 billion in a case brought before Justice Sylvanus Oriji in Abuja by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
The federal government’s anti-corruption commission summoned the two defendants before it, and they pleaded not guilty to the charge (FCT/HC/CR/792/2024).
An Assistant Cashier in the Bureau of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs named Jones testified at the rescheduled trial of the ex-governor, stating that he had two personal accounts, one of which he had created during his obligatory year of national service, that had received a portion of the funds.
Under the cross-examination of Mr. Rotimi Jacobs, SAN, the prosecutor, Jones told the court that his personal bank accounts were receiving less money than his company’s.
The second defendant, Yero, along with many government officials—including Babangida Hassan, the Bureau’s Director of Finance, and John Columba, the Chief Cashier—issued verbal directions regarding the distribution of these cash whenever they arrived in his accounts, he claims.
He testified before the court that, although the Bureau’s superiors did occasionally deposit funds into his accounts, he was never told who sent the money.
“My bosses in the office will sometimes send money into the account and give me instructions on what to do,” the witness shared with the court.
Jones informed the court that one Abdullahi Yunusa deposited ₦7 million into his personal accounts on November 1, 2019, in response to a request for him to name a few.
According to him, Prince Onwuzurike was to receive ₦4 million, one Musa ₦2 million, and Yunusa A’s account ₦1 million.
Jones stated that an unidentified depositor had given him an additional ₦3.5 million, and that he had been told to give it to Babangida Hassan, the Director of Finance.
The witness denied knowing who put the funds into his personal accounts and told the court that he did not know whether they had come from Taraba local governments.
Jones stated the court that he always informed his three supervisors whenever money was deposited into his company, P3 Cornerstone’s account and his two personal accounts when the prosecutor asked him to explain the disbursement of funds.
He testified that Prince Onwuzurike and others received monetary gifts because the three officials constantly told him who to give money to and where to put other monies.
Jones claimed that Dare Lawal, a former advisor to Governor Ishaku, would frequently visit his office to collect funds that Jones had withdrawn.
“My Permanent Secretary (Yero) or Director of Finance would come to ascertain it and Dar Lawal would come to collect the money,” Jones informed the court.
Yero, the second defendant, and other government officials had given him orders without tangible vouchers, he said, in contrast to payments made to Emirs, chiefs, and local government employees, which were supported by sub-receipts.
“There was nothing physical to show; the directives were verbal,” the PW3 said.
At the same time, Justice Oriji postponed the case to October 21 to allow for cross-examination of the witness, as per the request of the defendants’ solicitors and without protest from the prosecution.