Justice Sylvanus Oriji of the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), sitting in Maitama, Abuja, on Monday adjourned the hearing in the trial of the immediate past governor of Taraba State, Architect Darius Ishaku, and a former Permanent Secretary, Bureau of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs in the state, Bello Yero, to 2 June.
Both Ishaku and Yero are being prosecuted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on behalf of the Federal Government in the case marked FCT/HC/CR/792/2024, on a 15-count charge bordering on criminal breach of trust, conspiracy, and conversion of public funds to the tune of ₦27 billion.
They, however, pleaded not guilty to the charges preferred against them.
At the resumed sitting on the matter yesterday, which had both defendants in court, James Shaba, who announced his appearance for the prosecution, informed the court that the prosecuting counsel, Rotimi Jacobs SAN, was at the Court of Appeal for another matter.
He, therefore, prayed for a one-hour stand-down of the case to enable Jacobs to come to court for the day’s proceedings.
According to him, the prosecution was ready to proceed with the matter as its witness was present in court.
The request for a stand-down was, however, objected to by the counsel for the former governor, Eko Eko SAN.
Objecting to the request, Eko told the court that Ishaku’s health was still fragile, submitting that it would not be appropriate to subject the former governor to a long wait.
The senior lawyer further informed the court that he was bereaved of an uncle and needed to travel yesterday, adding that instead of asking for a stand-down, the prosecution should request an adjournment.
Counsel for the second defendant, Yero, Adeola Adedipe SAN, aligned with Eko and submitted that an adjournment was preferable to a stand-down of the case as requested by the prosecution.
After hearing submissions from the parties, Justice Oriji adjourned the case to 2 June for the continuation of the trial.
The case had previously been adjourned on Monday, 17 March, due to the absence of the former governor in court, as he was said to still be in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), where he had undergone surgery.
Oluwaleke Atolagbe, who appeared for the prosecution on that day, said the matter was slated for the continuation of evidence-in-chief of the first prosecution witness (PW1), Ismail Oluwadamilare Lawal, and lamented that the prosecution had been served a letter by the former governor’s lawyers seeking an adjournment.
Atolagbe told the court that when the court granted Ishaku leave to travel for medical treatment in January, it ordered him to be present in court on 17 March.
Counsel for Ishaku, Chris Umar SAN, informed the court that while it granted the former governor leave to travel out of the country to attend to his health on 29 January, it took between two and three weeks for Ishaku to process his visa to the UAE, adding that the first defendant’s wife was denied a visa.
“He was only able to travel on 24 February, and it was upon arrival that he (Ishaku) began his treatment,” Umar told the court.
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