Former Taraba State Governor, Darius Ishaku, has been granted bail in the sum of ₦150 million by the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court amid allegations of a ₦27 billion fraud. Justice Sylvanus Oriji, presiding over the case, issued the bail on Thursday, requiring Ishaku to provide two sureties, each worth ₦150 million. One of the sureties must be a Federal Government employee at the rank of Director, and both must reside in the FCT, with their addresses verified by the court.
As part of the bail conditions, Ishaku and his co-defendant, Bello Yero, are prohibited from leaving the country without the court’s permission. The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), represented by Rotimi Jacobs, did not oppose the bail request, citing that Ishaku had previously complied with the terms of an administrative bail.
Ishaku, who served as governor from 2015 to 2023, is facing 15 counts of fraud related to the diversion of public funds. He pleaded not guilty during his arraignment on Monday. The EFCC alleges that Ishaku and Yero, the former Permanent Secretary of the Bureau for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, misappropriated over ₦3.3 billion from contingency funds between 2015 and 2021.
The trial is set to begin on November 4, with additional hearings scheduled for November 5 and 13.
News Editor