The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has arrested and detained a former Taraba State Governor, Darius Ishaku, for alleged involvement in a N27 billion fraud.
Reports indicate that Ishaku, who concluded his tenure as governor in 2023 after eight years in office, was taken into custody from his residence in Abuja during the early hours of Friday.
The anti-graft agency revealed that the former governor remained in the custody of the EFCC as of the time this report was filed on Friday night.
One source disclosed that a minimum of 15 charges have been brought against Ishaku, and he is expected to be arraigned in court shortly, as the evidence against him has been gathered.
“Yes, he’s in our custody right now. We have been investigating him covertly since he left as the State governor. There a lot of financial malfeasance he perpetrated,” the source told the media platform.
A different source indicated that the former Governor was apprehended due to his inability to offer adequate justifications regarding financial misconduct that occurred during his tenure.
The alleged offences occurred between 2015 and 2021 during Ishaku’s tenure as governor, involving funds from the Taraba State Government and local government councils.
Specifically, Ishaku is accused of diverting N1.01 billion from the 2.5% contingency fund of the Bureau of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Taraba State, between August 2015 and March 2016.
Ishaku also allegedly used N3.348 billion from local government councils’ funds for personal gain and diverted N639 million for his use.
Upon inquiry, the spokesperson for the EFCC, Dele Oyewale, verified the incident to journalists but refrained from providing additional remarks.
Ishaku’s arrest follows a continuing conflict between the commission and the former governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Belo who is alleged to have embezzled ₦80.2 billion.
