By Iroyin Yoruba Television
A prosecution witness in the ongoing trial of former Taraba State Governor Darius Ishaku has told a Federal Capital Territory High Court in Abuja that substantial sums of money from Taraba local governments were transferred into private bank accounts during Ishaku's administration and were subsequently withdrawn or transferred to individuals on the instructions of senior government officials.
The testimony was given on Tuesday, October 6, 2026, as the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission continued presenting evidence in its corruption case against Ishaku and Bello Yero, a former Permanent Secretary in the Taraba State Bureau of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs.
The defendants are facing a 15-count charge involving alleged criminal breach of trust, conspiracy and conversion of public funds estimated at about N27 billion.
Both defendants have pleaded not guilty to the charges.
The witness, Taiwo Jones, an assistant cashier with the Taraba State Bureau of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, told the court that money from local government councils was transferred into the account of a private company known as P3 Cornerstone Nigeria Limited.
Jones said he had opened the company account originally for his farming activities before joining the state civil service.
According to his testimony, the account was later used to receive funds from local government councils.
The witness told the court that whenever money entered the account, he informed senior officials within the Bureau of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs.
He identified Yero, the former Permanent Secretary, and Babangida Hassan, who served as Director of Finance in the bureau, among officials who allegedly gave instructions concerning the money.
Jones said that in some instances he was instructed to withdraw funds in cash and hand them over to officials or persons connected with the administration.
In other cases, he said, he was directed to transfer portions of the money into specified accounts.
The evidence forms part of the EFCC's attempt to establish its allegation that public funds were diverted from their intended purposes during Ishaku's administration.
One of the transactions highlighted before the court involved Yorro Local Government.
Jones told the court that N7 million was deposited into one of his personal accounts on November 1, 2019, by a person identified as Abdullahi Yunusa.
He said he was instructed to distribute the money, including payments of N4 million to Prince Onwuzurike, N2 million to another individual identified as Musa and N1 million to an account associated with Yunusa.
The witness also told the court about another deposit of N3.5 million from an unidentified person.
He said he was instructed to hand that money over to the Director of Finance, Babangida Hassan.
Jones said the identities of some people who deposited money into his accounts were not known to him.
He explained that his role was primarily to receive the funds and follow instructions concerning their subsequent movement.
The witness further told the court that former officials would sometimes issue instructions verbally.
According to his testimony, there were no physical vouchers for some of the transactions and instructions.
This aspect of the testimony is significant because documentation is an important part of public financial management.
Government funds are normally expected to be supported by records showing the purpose of expenditure, the authorising official, the recipient and the relevant government programme or obligation.
The absence of documentation could make it more difficult to establish how public funds were used.
It could also raise questions about whether normal financial procedures were followed.
However, the witness's testimony remains part of the prosecution's case and has not yet been subjected to the full challenge of the defence.
The defence will have an opportunity to cross-examine the witness and question his account of the transactions.
The court will ultimately determine the weight to be attached to the evidence.
Jones also described the role of Dare Lawal, identified during the proceedings as a former aide to former Governor Ishaku.
The witness said Lawal would sometimes come to collect cash that he had withdrawn from his accounts.
Jones said either Yero or the Director of Finance would also be present to confirm or oversee the money being handed over.
The testimony provides the court with details about the movement of funds that the EFCC alleges were connected to local government resources.
The prosecution is expected to rely on bank statements, transaction records and other financial documents alongside witness testimony.
Financial records can be particularly important in corruption cases because they can help establish the movement of money between government accounts, private companies and individual accounts.
During the proceedings, additional documents were also tendered by the prosecution and admitted by the court as exhibits.
The evidence is expected to be considered together with testimony from other witnesses who have already appeared in the trial.
The case against Ishaku and Yero centres on allegations concerning the handling of funds belonging to Taraba State and its local governments.
The EFCC alleges that approximately N27 billion was involved in the transactions forming the basis of the charges.
The defendants have denied the allegations by pleading not guilty.
The prosecution therefore has the responsibility of proving the specific offences against them through evidence presented before the court.
The latest testimony focuses particularly on how funds allegedly moved from local government sources into a private company account.
Jones told the court that the company account received substantial payments over a period extending from 2019 into 2021.
He said the amounts received included payments from several local government councils.
Among the transactions discussed were payments involving Gassol, Ardo Kola, Zing and Yorro local governments.
The witness said the funds were sometimes subsequently withdrawn or transferred following instructions from government officials.
One transaction involved a N55 million manager's cheque from Ardo Kola Local Government on November 28, 2019.
On the same day, he said, N62 million was paid into the company account by Gassol Local Government.
Jones told the court that N50 million from the Gassol transaction was withdrawn from a United Bank for Africa branch and allegedly handed to the Permanent Secretary.
He also said N5.6 million was transferred to Prince Onwuzurike, while the remaining funds were withdrawn and handed over to Yero and Lawal.
Another transaction involved payments of N17.38 million and N13.12 million from Gassol Local Government in December 2019.
The witness said the combined amount of approximately N30.49 million was withdrawn after he reported the transactions to the Director of Finance.
He testified that the money was subsequently handed over to Hassan and Lawal.
The prosecution also questioned the witness about transactions that occurred in 2020.
Jones described several payments made into the P3 Cornerstone account in March and September of that year.
He said the account received multiple transfers, including N11.35 million, N75 million and approximately N2.5 million on March 23, 2020.
Another N20.47 million was deposited on March 24, followed by an additional payment of approximately N1.5 million.
The witness also described transactions recorded on September 14, 2020.
According to his evidence, P3 Cornerstone received approximately N39.99 million, while another N39.99 million came from Zing Local Government.
An additional N7.85 million was allegedly received from Yorro Local Government.
Jones said some of those funds were subsequently withdrawn and handed over to the Permanent Secretary, while other portions were transferred to Prince Onwuzurike.
The witness also told the court that he did not know the specific purpose for which some of the subventions were intended.
That evidence could become relevant to the court's assessment of whether the transactions represented legitimate government expenditure or were handled outside established procedures.
The prosecution's case will ultimately depend on proving the connection between the financial transactions and the offences contained in the charge.
The mere transfer of money into a private account does not automatically establish a criminal offence.
The court will need to consider the purpose of the funds, the authority under which they were transferred, how they were subsequently used and whether the transactions violated applicable laws.
The defence may also seek to explain why the accounts were used and whether the payments were authorised government transactions.
The trial therefore remains ongoing, and no final determination has been made against either defendant.
The case nevertheless highlights broader concerns about the management of local government finances.
Local governments receive funds intended to support public services and administrative responsibilities at the grassroots level.
Such funds can be used for salaries, infrastructure, healthcare, education, sanitation and other community needs.
When money intended for local government purposes is diverted or improperly handled, the consequences can be felt directly by residents.
Communities may experience inadequate services while resources allocated for development are unavailable.
Financial accountability at the local-government level is therefore an important part of Nigeria's broader anti-corruption efforts.
The proceedings also demonstrate the role of financial records in investigating alleged corruption.
Bank statements can help investigators identify unusual transactions and establish patterns of movement between accounts.
Where funds move repeatedly through private accounts before being withdrawn or transferred to individuals, investigators may seek explanations for those transactions.
The court must then determine whether the evidence supports the allegations made by the prosecution.
The trial also illustrates the importance of witnesses who can explain how transactions were carried out.
As an assistant cashier, Jones provided the court with an account of how he said money entered the accounts and how he allegedly received instructions concerning its movement.
His testimony could therefore help the prosecution establish a chain connecting financial records with the people who allegedly directed the transactions.
However, his evidence will be tested during cross-examination.
The defence may question his recollection, his understanding of the transactions and the circumstances under which he received instructions.
The court will assess his credibility alongside documentary evidence and the testimony of other witnesses.
The prosecution has already presented other witnesses in the case, and further testimony is expected as the trial continues.
The judge subsequently adjourned the matter to October 21 for cross-examination of Jones.
That stage will give the defence an opportunity to challenge the evidence he has provided.
The outcome of that cross-examination could be important in determining how much weight the court ultimately attaches to his testimony.
For now, the evidence has provided the court with a detailed account of alleged movements of local government funds through a private company and personal accounts.
The allegations remain contested, and the defendants are entitled to the presumption of innocence until the court reaches a final decision.
The case will continue to be closely watched because of the scale of the funds involved and the position previously held by the former governor.
For anti-corruption authorities, the trial represents an opportunity to demonstrate that financial allegations involving public officials can be subjected to detailed judicial scrutiny.
For the defendants, the proceedings provide an opportunity to challenge the allegations and present their own explanations for the transactions.
The court will ultimately determine whether the prosecution has proved its case beyond reasonable doubt.
Until then, the testimony of Taiwo Jones remains evidence presented by the EFCC in an ongoing criminal trial, rather than a final finding of wrongdoing by Darius Ishaku or Bello Yero.