A prosecution witness, Mr. Ismail Lawal, on Tuesday told the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court that former Taraba State Governor, Darius Ishaku, gave him $5,000 to relocate to Lagos.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on September 30, 2024, arraigned Ishaku and former permanent secretary, Bureau for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs in the state, Bello Yero for alleged N27 billion fraud.
The commission arraigned the duo on a 15-count charge of criminal breach of trust, conspiracy, and conversion of public funds.
Lawal, who was led in evidence by the EFCC counsel, Rotimi Jacob (SAN), said Ishaku gave him the money to relocate when he learnt that the commission was investigating him.
The witness said he worked as a system analyst in 2011 with Excelarc Partners owned by the former governor.
Lawal added that he was later called in 2012 to work as a personal assistant to Ishaku when he was appointed Minister of State for Power.
He said when 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 collected 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 stated.
Lawal added that he was paid a monthly salary of N130,000 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.
“After my arrest, I was transferred to Abuja from Lagos.
“I was shown 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 concluded.
Justice Sylvania Oriji adjourned the case till January 28 for the continuation of hearing.