Abuja, NIGERIA – A third prosecution witness (PW3) on Monday, July 13, 2026, gave a detailed account before an FCT High Court of how N1.8 billion meant for the procurement and distribution of festive grains for citizens in Taraba State was systematically siphoned through a private corporate account.
The explosive revelation was made during the ongoing trial of the former Governor of Taraba State, Darius Dickson Ishaku, and the former Permanent Secretary of the Bureau for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Bello Yero. Okay News reports that both defendants are being prosecuted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) before Justice S.C. Oriji on a 15-count charge bordering on conspiracy, criminal breach of trust, and the conversion of N27 billion in public funds.
Testifying under guidance from senior prosecution counsel Rotimi Jacobs, SAN, the witness, Taiwo Johns—a staff member under the Bureau—disclosed that a total of N1.8 billion was wired into his private company account, P3 Cornerstone International Nigeria Limited. Johns testified that the funds were systematically moved out of the Gassol Local Government Salary Transmission Account across 69 separate electronic transactions. He stated that the operations were executed under direct administrative commands from Yero, alongside the Bureau’s Director of Finance, Babangida Hassan, and Chief Cashier, John Columba.
Providing granular details on specific transactions, the witness highlighted an electronic payment of N100 million processed on Christmas Eve, December 24, 2018. While the official banking narration specified that the money was earmarked for the “purchase of assorted grains for distribution during Christmas and New Year,” Johns confessed to the court that no grains were ever acquired. Instead, he withdrew the entire sum in raw cash and handed it over to a courier, while other tranches were packed into bags and driven directly by him to the Government House. Justice Oriji subsequently adjourned the trial to Tuesday, July 14, 2026, for the continuation of cross-examination and witness testimonies.
