A prosecution witness, Ismail Lawal, on Tuesday, told the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court that the former governor of Taraba, Darius Ishaku, gave him $5,000 to relocate to Lagos.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), on September 30, 2024, arraigned Mr Ishaku and the former permanent secretary, Bureau for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs in the state, Bello Yero, for fraud.
They are being prosecuted on a 15-count charge bordering on criminal breach of trust, conspiracy and conversion of public funds to the tune of N27 billion.
Testifying, Mr Lawal alleged that Mr Ishaku gave him the money to relocate when he learned that the EFCC was investigating him.
Mr Lawal informed the court that he worked as a system analyst in 2011 with Excelarc Partners, owned by the former governor.
He added that he was later called in 2012 to work as a personal assistant to Mr Ishaku when he (former governor) was appointed Minister of State for Power.
The witness said that when Mr Ishaku became governor of Taraba in 2015, he invited him to work with him as a personal assistant.
“I was in charge of the former governor’s emails. I ran errands for him as well as collect money from the accounts section of the government house in Jalingo and followed the governor’s instructions on what to do with the money,” he said.
The prosecution counsel, Rotimi Jacobs (SAN), led him in his evidence.
Mr Lawal added that he was paid a monthly salary of N130,000 in cash by the former governor.
“I was informed that the EFCC needed me for questioning on June 12, 2021.
“I was ready to show up, but I was later told by the former governor not to appear in the EFCC office. He said I should stay away.
“I was in Lagos for close to two years. I moved from one hotel to another. I don’t know how the EFCC officials traced my whereabouts to my hotel in Magodo, Lagos,” he said.
The witness said that he was transferred to Abuja from Lagos upon his arrest.
”I was shown a CCTV footage of how I collected money from the UBA branch at Jabi in Abuja and also shown my bank statement in Zenith Bank current and savings accounts,” he said.
Despite objection by the defence counsel P.H Ogbole (SAN) for Mr Ishaku and Adeila Adedipe (SAN) for Mr Yero, the prosecution counsel, Mr Jacobs tendered the statements of account of the witness, which were admitted by the court as exhibits.
He told the court that each time money was paid into his account, he got a call from either the permanent secretary, Government House, Jalingo, Chindo Audu, or the Director of Finance, Galenya Lydia.
“They always tell me that they sent money meant for His Excellency and that I should withdraw and give it to him (Ishaku),” he said.
Justice Sylvania Oriji adjourned the case until January 28 for the continuation of hearing.
(NAN)
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