Ishaku’s Trial: Taraba cashier describes funds disbursements through his private account as official payments

A Taraba State Government cashier told the FCT High Court in Maitama, Abuja, on Monday that all the transfers he made during former Governor Darius Ishaku’s tenure were official payments.

The payments were allegedly part of the N27 billion, which the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) accused Mr Ishaku and his co-defendant, Bello Yero, then Permanent Secretary of the Bureau for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs of Taraba State, of diverting from the state government’s coffers.

Mr Ishaku and his co-defendant denied EFCC’s charges.

Taiwo Jones, a cashier with the Taraba State Government, appeared in court on Monday to continue his testimony as the third prosecution witness.

Since June, when he first took the stand as a prosecution witness, Mr Jones has detailed how he received funds from Taraba State local governments into the bank account of his company P3 Cornerstone for onward disbursements to various beneficiaries following the instructions of his superiors.

He said some funds were sent to two of his personal accounts.

However, under cross-examination by Mr Ishaku’s lawyer, Chris Umar, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), on Monday, the witness noted that the transfers were made in an official capacity.

Reading from a statement he made to the EFCC during the investigation, the witness said, “All the payments being done by myself and John Columba are official payments approved by the then-Permanent Secretary.”

On Mr Umar’s prompting, the witness read the statement thrice, emphasising the words, “official payments.”

Transfers to other beneficiaries

Mr Jones confirmed that he made several transfers to other beneficiaries but insisted that such transfers were based on directives.

Some of the transactions included the transfer of N7.5 million, N8 million, N2 million and N8 million to Ibrahim Saleh on 3 October 2018.

He said Mr Saleh also received four transfers of N5 million, N1 million, N6 million and another N1 million on 1 March 2019.

The witness said Prince Emmanuel, also known as Onwuzurike, who previously testified as a prosecution witness, received N10 million, N9 million, N5 million and N10 million on 9 August 2019. Mr Emmanuel previously testified about how he received money through his account and withdrew it on the directives of Mr Yero.

Continuing his testimony, Mr Jones said, on 20 August, Messrs Saleh and Emmanuel received N7 million, and made a cheque withdrawal of N8.7 million.

But Mr Jones said he could not give a total of the funds he transferred based on instructions, “because of the volume of the transactions.”

He said never reported the transactions to either the police or EFCC. According to him, there was no need to report the transactions because he found nothing wrong with the transactions.

Thereafter, trial judge Slyvanus Oriji adjourned the case to 5 November.

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Key testimonies from previous hearings

Dare Lawal and Mr Emmanuel earlier testified in the trial as the first and second prosecution witnesses, respectively.

In their separate testimonies, they gave details of their roles in the disbursements of funds over which which the EFCC is prosecuting former Governor Ishaku and Mr Yero.

Mr Lawal worked previously for former Governor Ishaku’s private business before serving as his personal assistant during his governorship, and testified almost throughout last year.

He testified elaborately on how he received millions from various state government officials, including Mr Yero, on behalf of Mr Ishaku.

Testifying as the second prosecution witness in February, Mr Emmanuel, who alluded to his personal relationship with Mr Yero, told the court that he received money through his account and withdrew it on the directives of Mr Yero.