Court Approves Darius Ishaku’s Medical Trip Abroad, Adjourns Trial to October 5

By Sabiu Abdullahi

A Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court has granted former Taraba State Governor Darius Ishaku permission to travel to Dubai for medical examination and surgery.

Justice Slyvanus Oriji approved the request on Tuesday after Ishaku’s lawyer, Chris Umar, filed the application before the court. The prosecution did not object to the request.

Following the ruling, the court adjourned the case until October 5, 2026, for the continuation of trial.

Ishaku and Bello Yero, a former Permanent Secretary in the Taraba State Bureau for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, are facing a 15-count charge bordering on conspiracy, criminal breach of trust, and the alleged diversion of public funds. Both defendants have pleaded not guilty.

During Tuesday’s proceedings, prosecution witness Taiwo Johns continued his testimony on the alleged diversion of funds meant for the purchase and distribution of Christmas grains in Taraba State.

Johns, an official of the Taraba Bureau for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, told the court that local government councils transferred money into the account of his company, P3 Cornerstone International Nigeria Limited, through several transactions in July 2019.

He identified Donga, Zing, Gassol, and Yorro local government areas as some of the councils that made the payments.

The witness further testified that N3 million paid into his company’s account by Yorro Local Government on July 22, 2019, was later withdrawn and handed over to Bello Yero, who took the money to the Government House.

He also told the court: “On July 24, 2019, Blessed Springs Modern Communication credited my account with N4.4 million.

“On that day, I reported to my superior, Babangida Hassan, the director of finance. On the same date, he gave an instruction on the account the money would be transferred to, which he said was a directive from above.

“On the same July 24, 2019, there were two transfers of N10 million each, into the P3 Cornerstone account. I reported the same to my boss.

“The two N10 million was paid into my account by the same person, Henrietta Meepatan, I withdrew N6 million, N5million and N1million.”

On Monday, Johns had told the court that N1.8 billion earmarked for the purchase of Christmas grains was diverted through his company’s account. He said the transfers were carried out on the instruction of Yero, his former superior, in 69 separate transactions.

Ishaku served as governor of Taraba State from 2015 to 2023.