Darius Ishaku, the former Governor of Taraba State (2015-2023), is currently in the custody of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over an alleged N27 billion fraud. Ishaku, along with Bello Yero, the former Permanent Secretary of the Bureau for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, is accused of multiple financial crimes, including the diversion of over N1 billion from contingency funds.
According to a top EFCC source, Ishaku will face 15 charges relating to the alleged mismanagement of state funds. The charge sheet, dated September 27, details various sums diverted between 2015 and 2021, including N1,010,000,000, which was allegedly misappropriated in Abuja between August 2015 and March 2016. Other allegations involve the diversion of N1,138,082,097.71 from July 2015 to May 2019 and another N761,301,000 to settle a loan obtained by Ishaku’s company, Worthy Construction Limited.
The EFCC noted that these actions violate Section 315 of the Penal Code A, Cap 532, Laws of the Federal Capital Territory, and are punishable under the same section. Ishaku and Yero will face trial in a Federal Capital Territory High Court, with charges of criminal breach of trust and dishonest diversion of public funds.
The commission has highlighted other diverted sums, including N650 million, N193 million, and N170 million, all allegedly misappropriated from state contingency funds over several years.
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