Alleged N27bn Fraud: Witness Testifies Movement of Money From Different Accounts To Ex-Taraba Governor’s Aide

Bukar Samuel1 week ago

0 0 1 minute read

By Edith Nwapi
A prosecution witness, Emmanuel Onwuzurike, on Monday, told an Abuja Court
testified on how money was moved from companies, Local Government Areas
(LGA), and individuals to former governor of Taraba, Darius Ishaku’s Aide.
Ishaku and a former permanent secretary, Bureau for Local Government and
Chieftaincy Affairs in the state, Bello Yero, are being prosecuted by the Economic
and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
They are before standing trial before Justice Sylvanus Oriji, on a 15-count charge,
bordering on criminal breach of trust, conspiracy and conversion of public funds to
the tune of N27billion.
The defendants pleaded not guilty to the charges preferred against them.
At the resumed hearing, Onwuzurike, second prosecution witness, (PW2 told the
court that he received millions of naira from Gashaka and Yorro LGAs, P3
Cornerstone, Taiwo Jones, and John Columba between 2017 and 2019 through his
account, which was domiciled in Zenith Bank.

Led in evidence by Rotimi Jacobs, SAN, prosecution counsel, the witness said that
following the credit entries, he made cash withdrawals, adding that the cash
withdrawals were delivered to Ismail Lawal, the first prosecution witness and
Ishaku’s former personal assistant.

Onwuzunike, who started his testimony since Dec detailed how he allegedly
received multiple payments from various Taraba State LGAs, between 2015–2019.

The witness said, “I received N4million from Taiwo Jones on Nov 6 2017, N10
million, N9 million, N9million, N9million and N4.3 million on Nov 10, 2017.

“It was withdrawn in cash and given to Ismail Lawal.”

Onwuzurike said on Feb.6, 2018, he received two credit entries amounting to
N14million from P3 Cornerstone and N6.6million from Jones. He then according
to him, withdrew over N20 million and handed it to Lawal.

There were similar entries and withdrawals in April, May, September and
November 2018.

On April 4, 2019, Onwuzurike said he received N16 million from Columba and
N10.7 million from Jones which he also withdrew over N50 million, and handed to
Lawal.

There were also other entries from P3 Cornerstone in April 2019, then in July
2019, the witness said he received N25 million from Gashaka LGA and
N28.5million from Yorro LGA.

Onwuzurike told the court that in 2016, he received lesser sums from Jones. “The
small sums were sent to me to buy things for the message he ( Jones) sent me,”
while other credits that were not linked to Taraba State or individuals already
mentioned, “those ones are for my business.”

Justice Oriji, after his testimony adjourned until Tuesday for cross-examination.