Former Taraba State Governor Darius Ishaku has been granted bail in the amount of ₦150 million by a Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court on Thursday. The bail was issued following his arraignment on a series of serious allegations, including a ₦27 billion fraud charge brought against him by the Federal Government.
Justice Sylvanus Oriji, who presided over the case, approved the bail on strict conditions. According to the ruling, Ishaku is required to provide two sureties, each with assets valued at ₦150 million. In addition, one of the sureties must be a senior employee of the Federal Government at the Director level. Both sureties must reside in the FCT, and their residential addresses will be subject to verification by the court’s registrar to ensure compliance with the bail conditions.
During the hearing, Justice Oriji also imposed a travel restriction on Ishaku and his co-defendant, Bello Yero, preventing them from leaving the country without the express permission of the court. The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), represented by its counsel, Rotimi Jacobs, did not oppose the bail application. Jacobs noted that Ishaku had previously been granted administrative bail by the EFCC during the investigation phase, and he had adhered to all terms of that bail.
Following the court’s decision to grant bail, Justice Oriji set the dates for the commencement of the trial. The trial is scheduled to begin on November 4, with additional sessions planned for November 5 and November 13. Ishaku, who had served as governor of Taraba State for two terms before stepping down in 2023, is facing a total of 15 counts of fraud. He has pleaded not guilty to all charges when he was arraigned earlier this week.
The charges against Ishaku and Bello Yero, the former Permanent Secretary of the Bureau for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs in Taraba State, are outlined in a charge sheet dated September 27. The EFCC alleges that the pair diverted over ₦1 billion for personal use between August 25, 2015, and March 21, 2016. Specifically, they are accused of misappropriating funds that were part of the 2.5 percent contingency fund allocated to the Bureau.
[/p]The EFCC further claims that the defendants siphoned a total of ₦1,138,082,097.71 from the same contingency fund over the period between July 2015 and May 2019. This alleged misappropriation is part of a broader investigation into the financial management of state funds during Ishaku’s tenure as governor.
In addition to these accusations, the EFCC has charged Ishaku and Yero with misusing ₦761,301,000 to repay a loan of ₦1 billion that had been extended to their private company, Worthy Construction Limited, by Zenith Bank Plc. This alleged misappropriation is said to have occurred between September 3, 2015, and January 29, 2018.
The charge sheet also outlines additional sums that were allegedly diverted by the defendants. According to the EFCC, between July 19, 2019, and February 5, 2021, Ishaku and Yero, in their capacities as Governor and Permanent Secretary, respectively, misappropriated an aggregate sum of ₦3,348,942,411.15, which belonged to the Bureau of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs and various local government councils in Taraba State. The EFCC alleges that the pair committed criminal breach of trust by diverting the funds for personal use.
Other amounts reportedly misappropriated from the contingency fund include ₦650,686,369.99 between January 6, 2019, and April 29, 2021; ₦193,030,000 between January 2019 and April 29, 2021; and ₦170,549,842.00 over the same period. These amounts were allegedly diverted without proper authorization, according to the EFCC’s investigation.
The case continues to attract significant public attention, as the allegations involve the mishandling of public funds and highlight concerns over the financial management practices of high-ranking officials in Nigeria’s state governments. Ishaku’s trial is set to continue in the coming weeks as the court considers the full scope of the charges brought against him and his co-defendant.
