A Taraba State Government cashier told the FCT High Court in Maitama, Abuja, on Tuesday how his personal and company accounts served as a channel for receiving funds from some officials of former Governor Darius Ishaku administration and disbursing the money to people referred to him by them.
Taiwo Jones, the third prosecution witness brought to testify in the former governor’s corruption trial, said the flurry of payments into two of his personal accounts, was followed by verbal instructions on disbursement of the funds from Mr Ishaku’s co-defendant Bello Yero and other government officials.
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He said he sometimes received such funds into his accounts by unknown persons, whom the prosecution believe to be agents of the government officials.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) is prosecuting former Governor Ishaku and Mr Yero, then-Permanent Secretary of the Bureau for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs of Taraba State, on charges of diverting as much as N27 billion belonging to the state government and some local governments in the state.
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Mr Ishaku, who governed Taraba State between May 2015 and May 2023, and his co-accused face 15 counts of criminal breach of trust, conspiracy and conversion of public funds to the tune of N27 billion for personal use.
The duo denied the allegations.
Mr Jones has been testifying in the case since when he first took the witness stand in June, detailing how he received funds from Taraba State local governments into his company’s account.
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In July, Mr Jones confirmed receiving N1.8 billion through his company’s account on Mr Yero’s instruction for onward disbursements to others.
He told the court that he ran a company, P3 International, which he used for his farming business before joining the civil service as an assistant cashier in the Bureau for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs of Taraba State.
On Monday, the witness narrated how Taraba State’s Local Government subvention funds were sent into his company’s account.
During Tuesday’s proceedings, he noted that the frequency of funds sent to his personal accounts was lower than that of his company’s account.
Some senders were unknown
Sharing further details of the transactions on Tuesday, Mr Jones said there were instances when his bosses, including Mr Yero, “would send money to the account and give me instructions on what to do.”
His other superiors from whom he said to have received such funds were the chief cashier, John Columba, and director of finance in Taraba State, Babangida Hassan.
Prompted by the prosecution lawyer Rotimi Jacobs, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), to highlight some of the transactions involving his personal accounts, the witness noted that on 1 November 2019, one Abdullahi Yunusa deposited N7 million.
The witness said he received instruction to pay N4 million from the money to Prince Onwuzurike, N2 million to Musa and N1 million to Yunusa A’s account.
He also said he received N3.5 million from an unknown sender, and later received instructions to hand it to Mr Hassan.
The witness emphasised that the money “is not from the local government.”
Mr Jacobs then asked, “Do you know who deposited it?” Mr Jones replied, “No.”
Mr Jones also said he received money into his second account, a pre-generated account opened during his NYSC year.
Verbal directives for disbursements
The EFCC’s lawyer asked him to explain the nature of the disbursement of the funds he received into his companies’ account and two of his personal accounts.
He explained that he informed the three officials he earlier mentioned, and they gave the directives on who to give the money and the accounts to deposit it. He said the money was sent to Mr Onwuzurike and other persons.
“Dare Lawal would come to collect the money and my permanent secretary (Mr Yero) or director of finance would come to ascertain it,” he said.
THE witness earlier told the court on Monday that some of the money he received was transferred to Seven per cent Emirates and Traditional Councils accounts.
During Tuesday’s proceedings, Mr Jones explained that payments to the emirs, chiefs and local government workers were evidenced by sub-receipts.
He, however, said the directives given by Mr Yero and other officials had no physical vouchers.
“The directives were verbal. There was nothing physical to show,” Mr Jones said.
Thereafter, the trial judge, Slyvanus Oriji, adjourned the case until 21 October for cross-examination of the witness.
The prosecution’s case
Dare Lawal and Prince Onwuzurike earlier testified in the trial as the first and second prosecution witnesses, respectively.
They both told the court about their roles in the disbursement of the funds for 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 Onwuzurike, 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.
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