A prosecution witness has told the Federal Capital Territory High Court in Abuja how local government funds meant for Taraba State ended up in his private company account and were shared on the instructions of senior officials.
Taiwo Johns testified on Monday as the third prosecution witness 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, Bello Yero.
Johns said he ran a company called P3 International, which he used for his farming business before joining the civil service as an assistant cashier in the same bureau. He told the court that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (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 — 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. He'd either withdraw the money or leave it in the bank and wait for further instructions.
"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.
Johns said 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.
The witness gave specific details of transactions. 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. He said the only cash payments he was aware of were N9 million, N8.5 million, and N5.8 million.
On 6 February 2018, he received N7.75 million and was instructed to transfer N6.25 million to Onwuzuruike. On 11 April 2018, his account received N5 million, N1.7 million, and N1.8 million from local government funds. Part of that money was withdrawn in cash on the instruction of the Director of Finance, Babangida Hassan.
On 26 April 2018, his account was credited with N4,767,386.41. On the same day, N4.78 million and N3.22 million were transferred to Onwuzuruike. The following day, 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.
Johns said all transactions were done based on instructions from senior officials of the bureau.
The EFCC is prosecuting Ishaku and Yero on 15 charges of criminal breach of trust, conspiracy, and alleged conversion of public funds amounting to N27 billion. The trial began in April but was delayed in May after Yero's lawyer withdrew, forcing the judge to grant time for a new lawyer.
Judge Sylvanus Oriji adjourned the matter until 7 July for continuation of trial.