Ex-Taraba Governor Ishaku Granted ₦150 Million Bail in Fraud Case
A High Court of the Federal Capital Territory in Maitama has granted bail to former Taraba State Governor, Darius Ishaku, in the sum of ₦150 million.
Justice Oriji delivered the ruling on Thursday, granting bail to Ishaku and his co-defendant, Bello Yero, a former Permanent Secretary in Taraba State, after their arraignment on corruption charges.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) had arraigned the two men on a 15-count charge of conspiracy, criminal breach of trust, and illegal conversion of public funds. The charges relate to the alleged diversion of ₦1.138 billion from the Bureau for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs’ contingency fund in Taraba State.
The charges against them include:
“That you, Darius Dickson Ishaku, while being Governor of Taraba State, and you, Bello Yero, while being Permanent Secretary, Bureau for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Taraba State, between July 2015 and May 2019, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, dishonestly diverted an aggregate sum of ₦1,138,082,097.71, which formed part of the contingency fund of the Bureau for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Taraba State, to your personal use, thereby committing an offence contrary to Section 315 of the Penal Code Act and punishable under the same Section.”
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At the arraignment, both defendants pleaded not guilty and applied for bail. Despite opposition from EFCC counsel, Rotimi Jacobs, SAN, who insisted on a formal bail application, the court ruled in favor of the defendants after the prosecution did not strongly object to the oral request.
Justice Oriji ordered the defendants to provide two sureties each, who must reside within the Federal Capital Territory.
The trial is set to continue on November 4.
