Alleged N27B Fraud: EFCC Arrests Former Governor of Taraba State, Darius Ishaku

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has apprehended former Taraba State Governor Darius Ishaku on charges related to a fraudulent scheme amounting to N27 billion.

Ishaku faces a total of 15 charges, including criminal breach of trust, misappropriation, and the diversion of public funds. The alleged offenses are said to have taken place from 2015 to 2021, during his time as governor, and involve funds belonging to the Taraba State Government as well as local government councils.

Among the specific allegations, Ishaku is accused of misappropriating N1.01 billion from the 2.5% contingency fund of the Bureau of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs in Taraba State, a diversion that allegedly occurred between August 2015 and March 2016.

He is also alleged to have misused N3.348 billion from local government council funds for personal benefit and diverted N639 million for his own purposes. Further accusations include the misappropriation of N1.138 billion from the same contingency fund between July 2015 and May 2019, along with the diversion of N193 million from Donga Local Government Council.

Additional charges involve criminal breach of trust regarding N650 million from Gassol Local Government Council, N170 million from Gashaka Local Government Council, and N201 million from Ardo Kola Local Government Council.

Ishaku is also accused of purchasing a duplex property in Abuja for N23 million using funds from the Taraba State Government, and of diverting N761 million to repay a loan for his company, Worthy Construction Limited.

Dele Oyewale, the commission’s spokesperson, has confirmed the arrest. The charge sheet details the allegations, stating, “That you, DARIUS DICKSON ISHAKU, while serving as the Governor of Taraba State and BELLO YERO, as the Permanent Secretary of the Bureau for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Taraba State, between August 25, 2015, and March 21, 2016, in Abuja, were entrusted with an aggregate sum of N1,010,000,000 (One Billion and Ten Million Naira) from the 2.5% contingency funds. You committed criminal breach of trust by dishonestly diverting this amount for personal use, thus violating Section 315 of the Penal Code Act, Cap 532, Laws of the Federal Capital Territory of Nigeria 2007, and are subject to punishment under the same section.”

The charge sheet further elaborates, “That you, DARIUS DICKSON ISHAKU, while in office between September 3, 2015, and January 29, 2018, in Abuja, misappropriated an aggregate sum of N761,301,000 (Seven Hundred and Sixty-One Million, Three Hundred and One Thousand Naira) belonging to the Taraba State Government and Local Government Councils, diverting the funds to settle a loan of One Billion Naira obtained from Zenith Bank Plc. for your company, Worthy Construction Limited, thus committing an offence under Section 315 of the Penal Code Act, Cap 532, Laws of the Federal Capital Territory of Nigeria 2007.”