According to the charge sheet, Darius Ishaku allegedly diverted N1.01 billion from the 2.5% contingency fund of the Bureau of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs in Taraba State between August 2015 and March 2016.
Abuja, Nigeria — The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has arrested and detained former Governor of Taraba State, Darius Ishaku, over allegations of involvement in a N27 billion fraud.
The former governor will be facing a 15-count charge, including criminal breach of trust, misappropriation, and diversion of public funds.
The EFCC, in a statement released by its spokesperson, Dele Oyewale, disclosed that the alleged offences occurred between 2015 and 2021 during Ishaku’s tenure as governor. The funds involved are reported to have belonged to the Taraba State Government and its local government councils.
According to the charge sheet, Ishaku allegedly diverted N1.01 billion from the 2.5% contingency fund of the Bureau of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs in Taraba State between August 2015 and March 2016. In addition, he is accused of using N3.348 billion from local government council funds for personal gain and diverting N639 million for his own use.
Further allegations indicate that Ishaku misappropriated N1.138 billion from the contingency fund between July 2015 and May 2019 and diverted N193 million from Donga Local Government Council’s funds.
He is also accused of committing criminal breach of trust involving N650 million from Gassol Local Government Council, N170 million from Gashaka Local Government Council, and N201 million from Ardo Kola Local Government Council.
The former governor allegedly used N23 million from the state’s funds to purchase a duplex property in Abuja and further diverted N761 million to repay a loan obtained by his company, Worthy Construction Limited.
The EFCC’s charge sheet against Ishaku and Bello Yero, a former Permanent Secretary at the Bureau for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs in Taraba State, reads in part:
“That you, DARIUS ISHAKU, while being the Governor of Taraba State and BELLO YERO, while being the Permanent Secretary, Bureau for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Taraba State, between 25th August 2015 and 21st March 2016 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 N1,010,000,000 (One Billion and Ten Million Naira), which sum formed part of the 2.5% contingency funds belonging to the Bureau of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Taraba State, committed criminal breach of trust in respect of the said property, when you dishonestly diverted the said sum to your own use and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 315 of the Penal Code Act, Cap 532, Laws of the Federal Capital Territory of Nigeria 2007 and punishable under the same Section.”
The charge sheet further alleges that:
“That you, DARIUS DICKSON ISHAKU, while being the Governor of Taraba State between 3rd September 2015 and 29th January 2018 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 N761,301,000 (Seven Hundred and Sixty-One Million, Three Hundred and One Thousand Naira), which sum formed part of the funds belonging to Taraba State Government and Local Government Councils in Taraba State, and you hereby committed criminal breach of trust in respect of the said property, when you dishonestly diverted the said sum to defray the loan of One Billion Naira granted by Zenith Bank Plc. to your company, Worthy Construction Limited, and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 315 of the Penal Code Act, Cap 532, Laws of the Federal Capital Territory of Nigeria 2007 and punishable under the same Section.”
The EFCC has confirmed that investigations are ongoing and that the former governor will be arraigned in court to face the charges leveled against him.
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