PREMIUM TIMES
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has arrested a former Governor of Taraba State, Darius Ishaku, and charged him with misappropriation of more than N27 billion belonging to the state government.
EFCC filed the indictment with 15 counts against Mr Ishaku and a co-defendant at the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court in Abuja on Thursday.
The co-defendant is a former Permanent Secretary of the Taraba State Bureau for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Bello Yero.
EFCC alleged that, at various times, Mr Ishaku, diverted billions of naira from the contingency funds belonging to the state’s Bureau of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs and certain local governments of the states into their private uses. The total amounts allegedly diverted summed up to N27 billion.
The commission alleged that the defendants committed the offences of criminal breach of trust and misappropriation while Mr Ishaku served as governor from 2015 to May 2023. At the time, Mr Yero was also said to be the Permanent Secretary of the state’s Bureau of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs.
PREMIUM TIMES learnt on Friday that Mr Ishaku was arrested by the EFCC on Wednesday, and “has since spent three days in custody” of the commission in Abuja, sources familiar with the development but were not authorised to speak on the matter told PREMIUM TIMES on Friday.
This comes ahead of the scheduled arraignment of the defendants, which PREMIUM TIMES learned, was already scheduled for Monday (30 September).
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When contacted over the development on, the spokesperson for the EFCC, Dele Oyewale said, “Yes, former Governor Ishaku is in our custody,” confirming his arrest. He, however, declined further comments on the matter.
Before becoming governor in 2015, Mr Ishaku, 70 years old, was at various times the supervising minister for power, supervising minister for environment and the Minister of State for Niger Delta Affairs.
He won his first governorship election in 2015 and a second term in 2019. He completed his second and final four-year term in 2023.
Read the 15 charges in full here…
