The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has arraigned former Taraba State Governor Darius Ishaku and the former Permanent Secretary of the Bureau for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Bello Yero, before Justice Sylvanus Oriji of the Federal Capital Territory High Court in Abuja on charges of fraud.
Both are facing a 15-count charge, including criminal breach of trust, conspiracy, and the misappropriation of public funds amounting to N27 billion.
One of the charges states: “That you, Darius Dickson Ishaku, while serving as the governor of Taraba State, and you, Bello Yero, as the permanent secretary of the Bureau for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, between July 2015 and May 2019 in Abuja, within the jurisdiction of this honourable court, were entrusted with a sum of N1,138,082,097.71, part of a 2.5% contingency fund belonging to the Bureau of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Taraba State. You dishonestly diverted the said sum for your personal use, thereby committing an offense 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.”
Another charge states: “That you, Darius Dickson Ishaku, as governor of Taraba State, and you, Bello Yero, as Permanent Secretary, dishonestly misappropriated a total of N1,138,082,097.71 from the 2.5% contingency fund belonging to the Bureau of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Taraba State, committing an offense contrary to Section 308 of the Penal Code Act, CAP 532, and punishable under Section 309 of the same Act.”
Both defendants pleaded “not guilty” to all charges. The prosecution counsel, Rotimi Jacobs, SAN, requested a trial date and an accelerated hearing, while the defense counsels, Paul Haris Ogbole and Oluwa Damilola Kayode, made oral applications for bail, which Jacobs opposed, requesting formal applications instead.
Justice Oriji adjourned the case to Thursday, October 3, for a hearing on the bail applications and ordered that the defendants be remanded in EFCC custody. Both were arrested on September 27, 2024.