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The former governor of Taraba State, Darius Ishaku, has been granted permission by the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, to travel to Arjam, United Arab Emirates, UAE, for a routine medical check-up.
Justice Sylvanus Oriji granted the approval on Wednesday, January 29, after hearing a motion seeking the leave of the court to allow the former governor to travel abroad on medical ground, filed by his counsel, Paul Ogbole SAN.
Ishaku is being prosecuted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on behalf of the Federal Government, alongside a former Permanent Secretary, Bureau for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs in the state, Bello Yero.
The defendants are being tried in the charge, marked FCT/HC/CR/792/2024, for criminal breach of trust, conspiracy and conversion of public funds to the tune of N27 billion.
They, however, pleaded not guilty to the charge.
While moving the motion, Ogbole told the court that it was brought pursuant to Sections 6 (6) and 41 (1) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, seeking an order of the court to allow the former governor to travel to UAE for medical check up.
Ogbole said the former governor’s health had been deteriorating continuously and urged the court to grant the application.
Responding, the prosecution counsel, Rotimi Oyedepo SAN, said Ishaku did not specify the duration of his stay in UAE, adding that this ought to be supplied to the court.
After listening to parties, Justice Oriji, in his brief ruling, held that part of the bail conditions granted the former governor on October 3, 2024 was that Ishaku must not travel out of the country without first applying for the leave of court, adding that this must have necessitated the application.
He, therefore, granted permission for the former governor to travel out of the country.
The judge subsequently adjourned the case to March 17 for continuation of hearing.
Earlier in the day’s proceedings, the judge had admitted two notebooks with 11 pieces of paper sought to be tendered by the prosecution counsel, Rotimi Jacobs SAN, through the fifth prosecution witness (PW5), Ismail Oluwadamilare Lawal, on Tuesday.
Justice Oriji overruled the objection by counsel for Ishaku, Ogbole SAN on the admissibility of the pieces of paper, though he did not object to the notebooks being admitted as exhibits.
Continuing with his evidence-in-chief before the court, Lawal, a former personal assistant to Ishaku, said he used to get cash from different people on the instructions of the former governor.
According to him, such people included the Permanent Secretary, Government House, Jalingo, Mr Chindo Audu; Mr Galiya Lodiya; the Taraba State Liaison Officer in Abuja, Mr Dauda and a brother to his principal, Mr Victor Comlavi, who he said was not an employee of the state government.
He added, “There are other people I got money from depending on who His Excellency instructed me to meet.”
Reading from one of the notebooks admitted by the court and marked Exhibit 3, the PW5 informed the court that he paid various sums of money as approved by his principal to different people either in cash or through bank accounts.
“There was no complaint that I did not pay anyone. After I made payments, they (recipients) must call His Excellency to confirm payment.
“On the face of the write up, His Excellency usually crossed it and write date. This means that he is satisfied with what I have done,” Lawal told the court.
He further told the court that apart of his entry of December 5, 2020 in Exhibit 3, on the directive of the former governor, he paid salaries of personal staff his principal as well as the gatemen of Ishaku’s house in Takum and the electricity bill of the house.
“There is Bigman Wukari (N100,000); Musa Siman (100,000); Mr Lar (75,000); Obadiah Danjuma (150,000); Balat Bunkaya (N50,000); Adams Ibrahim (N75,000); Lawal Ismail, myself, (N100,000). These seven are His Excellency’s personal staff.
“There is also salary of Takum gatemen (N25,000). The salary of Takum is the gatemen of His Excellency’s house in Takum. There is also Takum NEPA bill (N25,000). This is the bill for His Excellency’s house in Takum. There is another one for Takum campaign office staff (N15,000).”
