A prosecution witness on Tuesday told the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court in Maitama, Abuja, that although former Taraba State governor, Darius Ishaku’s name did not appear on his bank statements that captured transfers of state funds, the name of the ex-governor’s company – Worthy Construction Limited – was reflected in the documents.
The witness, Ismail Lawal, a former personal assistant to Mr Ishaku, made the revelation under cross-examination by the defence counsel in the ongoing N27 billion fraud trial instituted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
Mr Lawal, who began his testimony in January as the first prosecution witness, confirmed to the court that“The first defendant’s (Mr Ishaku) name did not appear on the account statement, but there was a transaction to Worthy Construction Limited.”
Funds Diverted to Ishaku’s Firm
The EFCC is prosecuting Mr Ishaku alongside Bello Yero, former Permanent Secretary, Bureau for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, on charges of criminal breach of trust, conspiracy, and fraudulent conversion of public funds totalling N27 billion.
One of the charges, specifically Count 15, alleges that the ex-governor diverted over N700 million from state funds to offset a ₦1 billion loan obtained by his private firm, Worthy Construction Limited, from Zenith Bank Plc.
Mr Lawal, who worked in Mr Ishaku’s private business before becoming his personal assistant during his two-term administration between May 2015 and May 2023, previously narrated how he conveyed cash to various beneficiaries on the former governor’s instructions.
Notebook of Cash Transactions
In earlier testimony on 30 September, the witness disclosed that he received cash running into millions of naira from top government officials—including Mr Yero and the then Director of Finance, Emmanuel Ifun—which he allegedly distributed on behalf of Mr Ishaku.
He said he documented the transactions in a personal notebook, which he described as an informal record shared only between him and the former governor.
“Any money I received, I recorded it here. It is a record book between me and His Excellency. I kept the record, and His Excellency verified it,” he told the court.
He admitted that entries were not countersigned by those who handed him the funds, and the instructions came verbally, through text messages or handwritten notes.
Funds for Security Agencies
During Tuesday’s cross-examination by Ishaku’s lawyer, Eko Ejembi, SAN, Lawal explained that some of the recorded disbursements were listed as security-related.
He said the notebook contained records of transfers to various security agencies and officials, including the State Security Service (SSS), NDLEA, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, the Inspector-General of Police, and other state and local security operatives.
“Some are for security, while some are for other people,” he said when questioned about the nature of the expenses.
Trial Adjourned
Justice Oriij Sylvanus adjourned the case to Wednesday for the continuation of Mr Lawal’s cross-examination.
Background
The EFCC arrested and arraigned Mr Ishaku and his co-defendant on 30 September 2024. The anti-graft agency alleges that while serving as governor, Mr Ishaku authorized the diversion of contingency funds belonging to the Bureau for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs and certain local government councils for private use—amounting to N27 billion.