The Federal Capital Territory’s High Court in Maitama has approved bail for former Governor of Taraba State, Darius Ishaku, and Bello Yero, a Permanent Secretary at the Bureau for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs in Taraba State.
The duo were ranted bail for a total of N150 million.
It is worth noting that they are currently on trial for their alleged roles in a fraud case worth N27 billion.
The defendants are charged with 15 offences by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), which alleges they have committed criminal breach of trust, conspiracy, and misappropriation of public funds.
At their arraignment on Monday, both individuals denied the accusations and sought bail, waiting for the case to be fully considered.
Their attorneys, Paul Ogbole, SAN, and Oluwa Kayode, submitted written pleas for bail.
The EFCC’s main lawyer, Rotimi Jacobs, SAN, opposed the bail application, stating that the defence should formally request permission to respond effectively.
However, Justice Oriji approved the bail application on Thursday despite the prosecution’s objections.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has asked for a faster resolution of the case.
The court has directed the defendants to provide two guarantors each, who must live in the Federal Capital Territory.
The trial has been postponed to November 4.
The EFCC arrested Ishaku and Yero on September 27 concerning the alleged diversion of N1.138 billion from the 2.5% contingency fund belonging to the Bureau for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs in Taraba State. The charges against them include:
“That you, Darius Dickson Ishaku, while being Governor of Taraba State, and you, Bello Yero, while being Permanent Secretary, Bureau for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Taraba State, between July 2015 and May 2019, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, dishonestly diverted an aggregate sum of N1,138,082,097.71, which formed part of the contingency fund of the Bureau for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Taraba State, to your personal use, thereby committing an offence contrary to Section 315 of the Penal Code Act and punishable under the same Section,” the court read to the former governor.
