Darius Dickson Ishaku, the former governor of Taraba State, was arraigned before the Federal Capital Territory High Court, Maitama, Abuja, for alleged fraud on Monday.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) arraigned Ishaku and Bello Yero, a former Taraba permanent secretary of the Bureau for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, on a 15-count charge bordering on criminal breach of trust, conspiracy and conversion of public funds to the tune of N27 billion.
Both Yero and Ishaku were arrested on Friday.
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One of the charges reads:
That you Darius Dickson Ishaku, whilst being the governor of Taraba State, and Bello Yero, whilst being the Permanent Secretary, Bureau for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Taraba State between July 2015 and May 2019 in Abuja, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, and in such capacity entrusted with dominion over certain property, to wit: an aggregate sum of N1,138,082,097.71 (One Billion, One Hundred and Thirty-Eight Million, Eighty-Two Thousand, Ninety-Seven Naira, Seventy-One Kobo), which sum formed part of the 2.5% contingency fund belonging to Bureau of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Taraba State committed criminal breach of trust in respect of the said property, when you dishonestly diverted the said sum to your own use and you thereby committed an offence 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.
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Another charge reads:
That you Darius Dickson Ishaku, whilst being the governor of Taraba State, and Bello Yero, whilst being the Permanent Secretary, Bureau for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Taraba State between July 2015 and May 2019 in Abuja, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, dishonestly misappropriated certain property, to wit: an aggregate sum of N1,138,082,097.71 (One Billion, One Hundred and Thirty-Eight Million, Eighty-Two Thousand, Ninety-Seven Naira, Seventy-One Kobo, which sum formed part of the 2.5% contingency fund belonging to Bureau of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Taraba State and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 308 of the Penal Code Act, Cap 532, Laws of the Federal Capital Territory of Nigeria 2007 and punishable under Section 309 of the same Act.
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Ishaku and Yero pled “not guilty”.
Justice S. C. Oriji adjourned the matter until Thursday for the next hearing.
The judge ordered both the ex-governor and former permanent secretary to be remanded in EFCC’s custody.
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