Alleged N27bn fraud: EFCC witness narrates how Taraba officials lodged funds into his personal accounts under ex-Gov Ishaku

THE third prosecution witness (PW3) in the ongoing trial of the immediate past governor of Taraba State, Darius Dickson Ishaku and one other, before the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Taiwo Jones, on Tuesday, narrated how officials of the state government sent funds into his personal accounts during former governor’s tenure.

Ishaku and a former Permanent Secretary, Bureau of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs in the state, Bello Yero, are being prosecuted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) before Justice Sylvanus Oriji, sitting at Maitama, Abuja, on a 15-count charge, bordering on criminal breach of trust, conspiracy and conversion of public funds to the tune of N27 billion.

The defendants, however, pleaded not guilty to the charge, marked FCT/HC/CR/792/2024, brought against them by the anti-corruption commission.

Continuing his evidence-in-chief on Tuesday, at the resumed hearing in the case, Jones, an assistant cashier in the Bureau of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, told the court that some funds were sent into his two personal accounts, including a pre-generated account opened during his mandatory one-year national service.

Led in evidence by the prosecuting counsel, Rotimi Jacobs, Jones informed the court that the rate at which funds were deposited into his personal accounts was lower to that of his company’s account.

According to him often times when such funds entered his accounts, the second defendant, Yero, and some government officials, including the director of Finance in the Bureau, Babangida Hassan and chief cashier, John Columba, issued verbal directives on how to disburse the funds.

He told the court that though his bosses in the Bureau sometimes sent money into his accounts, some senders were unknown to him.

“There are times my bosses in the office will send money to the account and give me instructions on what to do,” the PWthree told the court.

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Asked to highlight some of the deposits made into his personal accounts, Jones told the court that on November 1, 2019, one Abdullahi Yunusa deposited N7 million.

He added that he was instructed to pay N4 million to Prince Onwuzurike, N2 million to one Musa and N1 million to Yunusa A’s account.

Asked to confirm to the court if the money deposited into his personal accounts was from Taraba local governments, the prosecution witness answered in the negative, adding that he did not know who deposited it.

Meanwhile, following a request by the counsels for the defendants, with no objection from the prosecution, Justice Oriji, adjourned the case to October 21, for cross examination of the PWthree.