Joshua Dariye’s corruption trial continues despite defecting to APC

Former Governor of Plateau state, Joshua Dariye.
Former Governor of Plateau state, Joshua Dariye.

The trial of a former governor of Plateau State, Joshua Dariye, continued on Wednesday, October 12 before Justice Adebukola Banjoko of the Federal Capital Territory High Court, Gudu, Abuja, with a defence witness, Stephen Igmala, who is the acting General Manager, Plateau State Road Maintenance Agency, denying knowledge of how equipment used by the Agency were procured.

Mr. Igmala, while being examined by the defence counsel, G. S. Pwul, said: ‘‘I started working in the Agency as a Principal Technical Officer in May 2000. I have no idea about how, and when the equipment were procured. We received them from the Ministry of Works in 2000, and are still using them till date. We didn’t pay for the equipment; the state government did.’’

Under cross-examination by the counsel to EFCC, Rotimi Jacobs, Mr. Igmala, who told the court that he became the Agency’s acting general manager in June 2015, said he was not a member of the management of the agency, previously known as Plateau State Direct Labour Agency, when the equipment and vehicles listed in the Exhibit D 18 that was tendered and admitted by the court were procured.

Mr. Igmala, the fifth defence witness, DW5, in the ongoing trial, also told the court that he had not bought any other equipment since he assumed office as acting General Manager.

‘‘I have only been buying diesel, petrol and engine oil through direct purchase from the market,’’ he said.

However, the prosecuting counsel pointed out to the court that the equipment as well as the vehicles used by the agency were more than what was captured in the Exhibit D18 previously tendered and admitted by the court.

Answering further questions from Mr. Jacobs, Mr. Igmala admitted that he had exceeded his six-month acting period.

Justice Banjoko, thereafter, adjourned to October 13 for further hearing.

Mr. Dariye is being prosecuted by the EFCC for allegedly siphoning the state’s ecological fund to the tune of N1.16 billion.

The former Plateau Governor recently decamped to Nigeria’s ruling party, APC from the opposition PDP.

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  • Kay Soyemi (Esq.)

    This, itself, is not news.

    What would be of greater interest and significance in the fight against corruption is the direction the trial would head towards later.

  • suleiman

    Dariye is being persecuted because he a minority Christian from the Middle Belt. What was stolen by Saminu Turaki of Jigawa is ten times what he stole and yet we have not heard anything said about him. Turaki stole about N40billion, Odili over N100billion while Dariye stole N642Million. Although a thief is a thief but why focusing your attention on only Dariye? This is why I say the corruption fight is skewed!

    • Gwazy

      My guy this attitude of why me, why not him is childish. A crime is a crime. You wait, if you have evidence about these people you take it to the investigation agencies( I suggest you wait for a reform of the courts first), then if the do nothing about it,you sell your evidence to Premiumtimesng for exposure. Brandishing figures about and being sentimental about ethnicity or religion or whatever does not augur well for you and I ,and our children . After all, they never shared it with you, they don’t even know you and they never will, their children will not share it with you. So please be reasonable in your thoughts and assertions.

  • SAM .A

    APC is now a sanctuary for corruption soaked , notorious PDP treasury looters . Just like Senate is retirement home for Ex Governors . Over to you Pa John Oyegun. A sinner must not go unpunished says the Bible. our culture and law of Karma .

  • Okokondem

    I didn’t even bother to read this because the reporting is of no consequence. What I’m reacting to is the caption which states:

    “Joshua Dariye’s corruption trial continues despite defecting to APC”

    Could this fellow have defected to another party hoping it would help him escape justice? This frequent “Carpet Crossing” as it was known during the first republic, has become so common among Nigeria’s politicians in a way not seen in other practicing democracies, and what it demonstrates is lack of political ideologies or core belief in these politicians.

    Certainly, this practice is not a common place in the US political system from which Nigeria said to have modeled theirs.