The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has arrested the former governor of Taraba State, Darius Ishaku, in connection with an alleged N27 billion fraud.
PLATFORM TIMES gathered that the former governor, who completed his tenure in May 2023, was taken into custody on Friday.
PLATFORM TIMES further gathered that as of Friday evening, Ishaku was still being held at the EFCC’s detention facility as investigators intensify their efforts to build a robust case against him.
According to a source, the EFCC has already prepared at least 15-count charges against the ex-governor, and legal proceedings are expected to commence soon.
“We have solid evidence against him, and the charges are already filed. He will be arraigned in court shortly,” one source disclosed under anonymity, as the case is still under investigation.
Darius Ishaku, a prominent member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), held office as the governor of Taraba State from May 2015 until May 2023.
His tenure has faced allegations of large-scale financial mismanagement, with the most recent case being a continuation of ongoing investigations into his administration’s financial dealings.
Notably, this isn’t the first time the EFCC has investigated Ishaku’s government.
In May 2021, three senior officials from his administration were arrested over their involvement in a N21 billion fraud scandal.
Those arrested included a permanent secretary, a Director of Finance and Accounts, and a cashier from the Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs. The trio was accused of siphoning public funds through questionable financial transactions.
Further investigations revealed that under Ishaku’s leadership, public funds were systematically withdrawn from the state’s accounts through cheques, with amounts as high as N10 million being taken in multiple tranches.
This method, according to sources, was part of an elaborate scheme designed to siphon funds from state coffers under the guise of legitimate government expenditures.
The EFCC is said to be relying on substantial documentary evidence and witness testimonies to build its case against Ishaku, and the impending legal battle could serve as a crucial test in the agency’s efforts to hold former governors accountable for alleged financial crimes.
Ishaku’s arrest adds to the growing list of former governors and political office holders facing corruption charges in Nigeria.
Efforts to reach Ishaku’s legal team for comment were unsuccessful as of the time of this report.
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