A prosecution witness, Taiwo Johns, on Monday told the Federal Capital Territory High Court in Abuja how he received Taraba State local government funds in his company’s account and disbursed the money based on instructions from officials of the Taraba State Bureau for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs.
He testified before trial judge Sylvanus Oriji in the N27 billion fraud trial of former Taraba State Governor Darius Ishaku and former Permanent Secretary in the Bureau for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs of the state, Bello Yero
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A statement from the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission ( EFCC) spokesperson, Dele Oyewale, on Monday, said the EFCC is prosecuting Messers Ishaku and Yero on 15 charges of criminal breach of trust, conspiracy and alleged conversion of public funds amounting to N27 billion.
Both defendants pleaded not guilty to the charges.
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Mr Johns testified on Monday as the third prosecution witness in the case.
He began his testimony in April but proceedings were disrupted in May after Mr Yero’s lawyer withdrew, prompting the judge to grant him time to engage a new lawyer. The court adjourned the matter until 15 June (Monday) for continuation of trial.
How funds entered his account
Mr Johns told the court on Monday 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, north-eastern Nigeria.
He said the EFCC traced the funds to his company account during investigation.
According to him, senior officials of the bureau, including John Columba, Babangida Hassan and Bello Yero (the second defendant), asked him to provide his account details.
“They asked me to submit the account number so that some money would be sent to me and that I should await further instruction on what to do with the money,” Mr Johns said.
The witness said local government cashiers sometimes paid money directly into his account.
“Sometimes when money comes into this account, I will withdraw the money or leave it in the bank and wait for further instruction,” he said
On what he did with the money after receiving it in his account, he said, “I reported to my chief cashier, John Columba, before I reported to Babangida Hassan and he reported to Bello Yero before I was given a directive on where to pay the money.”
He told the court that he was sometimes given account numbers to transfer funds into, and at other times asked to deliver cash.
He also said he sometimes handed cash to a man identified as Lawal, described as a personal assistant to the governor.
Mr Johns said instructions on the movement of funds came from Me Yero, Mr Hassan and other bureau officials.
Details of transactions
The witness told the court that on 20 November 2017, N3 million was paid into his account from local government funds and N2.25 million was later transferred to Prince Emmanuel Onwuzuruike.
“These are the only three payments I am aware of in cash: N9 million, N8.5 million and N5.8 million,” he said.
He added that the transfers on that day totalled N5.25 million.
Mr Johns said on 6 February 2018, he received N7.75 million and was instructed to transfer N6.25 million to Mr Onwuzuruike.
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He further told the court that on 11 April 2018, his account received N5 million, N1.7 million and N1.8 million from local government funds.
He said part of the money was withdrawn in cash on the instruction of the Director of Finance, Babangida Hassan.
He also testified that on 26 April 2018, his account was credited with N4,767,386.41.
“On the same date, N4.78 million and N3.22 million was transferred to Prince Onwuzuruike,” the witness said.
Mr Johns added that on 27 April 2018, he received N5.65 million and N4.5 million, after which he was instructed to transfer N4.78 million and N3.37 million to Onwuzuruike.
He said all transactions were done based on instructions from senior officials of the bureau.
The judge adjourned the matter until 7 July for continuation of trial.
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