Justice Sylvanus Oriji of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court has granted former Taraba State Governor Darius Ishaku bail in the amount of 150 million Naira, along with two sureties of the same value.
The sureties must be residents of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, and their addresses must be verified by the court’s registrar. One of the sureties is required to be a director within the Federal Civil Service, according to the judge’s order.
The former governor was arraigned by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on allegations of fraud amounting to ₦27 billion before Justice Oriji.
The judge also prohibited Ishaku and his co-defendant, Bello Hero, from leaving the country without the court’s permission.
Rotimi Jacobs, counsel for the EFCC, stated that the agency did not oppose the former governor’s bail request, noting that Ishaku had been granted administrative bail and had not violated its terms.
Justice Oriji subsequently scheduled the commencement of the trial for November 4, 5, and 13.
Ishaku served as governor of Taraba State in Nigeria’s North-East region from May 2015 to May 2023, elected under the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).