Credible intelligence, as well as available evidence of court proceedings, indicate that the courts are set to hand jail sentences to two former governors, Gabriel Suswam of Benue State and Darius Ishaku of Taraba State and former ministers over alleged theft of tens of billions of naira, in a case brought against them by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC)
Udoka Ekeleme, Abuja
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) may succeed in getting two ex-governors spend years in jail term in the nearest future following the huge, indisputable evidences and witnesses available to it in the prosecution of the accused political big wigs. Investigation also revealed that two former Ministers of Power are also sweating profusely at the courts following the revelation by the EFCC and its witnesses’ revelation of how they allegedly diverted public funds meant for power generation for citizens into private purses.
The two former governors are Gabriel Suswam of Benue State and Darius Ishaku of Taraba State whose cases at the courts are nearing conclusion. Documents available to Tentacle showed that on Monday, September 30, 2024, the Commission arraigned ex-governor Ishaku and the former Permanent Secretary of the Bureau of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs in Taraba State, Bello Yero before the Justice SC Oriji of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court, Maitama, Abuja for allegedly stealing over N27 billion belonging to his state. Part of the charges laid against Ishaku read, “That you, Darius Dickson Ishaku whilst being the governor of Taraba State, and Bello Yero whilst being the Permanent Secretary, Bureau of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Taraba State between July 2015 and May 2019 in Abuja, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, and in such capacity entrusted with dominion over property to wit: An aggregate sum N1, 138, 082, 097. 71, which sum formed part of the 2.5 percent contingency fund belonging to the Bureau of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Taraba State, committed criminal breach of trust in respect of the said property when you dishonesty diverted the said sum to your own use and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 315 of the Penal Code Act, Cap532, Laws of the Federal Capital Territory of Nigeria 2007 and punishable under the section”.
Another charge against Ishaku read, “That you, Darius Dickson Ishaku whilst being the governor of Taraba State, and Bello Yero, whilst being the Permanent Secretary, Bureau of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs Taraba State between 2015 and 2019, in Abuja within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, dishonestly misappropriated certain property to wit: N1,138,082,097.71 contrary to Section 308 of the Penal Code Act Cap532 Laws of the Federal Capital Territory of Nigeria 2007 and punishable under Section 309 of the same Act”.
These charges were denied by both Ishaku and Yero who pleaded not guilty when all the charges were read to them. According to the EFCC, the denial prompted the Prosecution Counsel Rotimi Jacobs, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), to ask the court for a trial date and accelerated hearing on the matter.
Justice Oriji adjourned the matter to Thursday October 3 for hearing on bail application, but ordered that Ishaku and Yero be remanded in the EFCC custody. Both Ishaku and Yero were arrested by the EFCC since September 27, 2024.
In another suit between the EFCC and former governor of Benue State, Suswam, involving alleged stealing of public funds to the tune of N3.1 billion by Suswam belonging to the state, one Abubakar Umar, the sixth Prosecution Witness (PW6) in the trial of Suswam told a Federal High Court in Maitama, Federal Capital Territory High Court presided over by Justice Peter Lifu, how he converted the N3.1 billion wired to him by Suswam to dollars equivalent of $15.8 million and delivered same to Suswam at his Maitama residence in 2014 when Suswam presided over the affairs of the state as governor.
Suswam and his then Commissioner for Finance, Omodachi Okolobia are facing amended 11-count charges of money laundering to the tune of N3.1 billion being part of the proceeds from the sale of the Benue State Government’s shares held on behalf of the state by the Benue Investment and Property Limited, which was sold through Elixir Securities Limited and Elixir Investment Partners Limited.
Umar, a Bureau de Change (BDC) operator, according to EFCC’s spokesman, Dele Oyewale, is the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Fanffash Resources who has been testifying to the Suswam graft case since 2018, beginning with Justice Okon Abang.
Umar confessed that the total sum of N3.1 billion was transferred to him by Suswam through a proxy in tranches, with the first tranch of N413 million hitting his account on August 8, 2014, while other subsequent tranches transferred to him amounted to the N3.1 billion cumulatively.
While being led in evidence by the Prosecution Counsel, Rotimi Jacobs, SAN, Umar disclosed that Suswam’s proxy was a woman. The witness said he gave the $15.8 million equivalent of the Naira to Suswam in his (Suswam) Maitama Abuja residence at the rate of N197 to a dollar.
The charges read, “One day in 2014, when I was in the office, the former governor of Benue State asked me to meet him in his house in Maitama, Abuja. I went and met him in the house together with one fair woman. He asked me to give the woman my account number. I gave the woman my Zenith Bank account number. The woman said she’ll send money into that account.
“On the 8th of August 2014, N413 million was transferred to my account. Based on this, I called the former governor and he told me to change the money to dollars and I asked him to give me time to do that. Three days after I bought the dollar equivalent, I called the former governor and informed him that the money was ready. He now asked me to take the money to his house in Maitama, near Jumat Mosque. I now told him that he should inform the security at the gate that I was coming, if not they’ll not allow me access into the gate. I took a cab to the house, and after I arrived at the house, I knocked at the gate and they opened. I told them my name. They opened the first and second gates and I sat in the waiting room where he came and met me. I now brought out the money which we both confirmed to be the equivalent of the N413 million. The exchange rate then was N197”, he said
The witness further said, “On the 12th of September 2014, N637 million was transferred to my account. After N637million was transferred to my account, after like 40 minutes N363 million was also transferred into my account. On 13th October 2014, N630, 008,50, (Six Hundred and Thirty Million, Eight Thousand and Fifty Naira) was also transferred to my account. On 17th October 2014 1,0068,000 (One Billion, Sixty-eight Million) was transferred to my account. It is the woman that was directed by the former governor to do the transfers. The total money transferred to my account was N3 billion”.
For a former Minister for Power under former President Muhammadu Buhari government, Saleh Mammam, the bubble has burst exposing how he allegedly ordered a multiple cash transfers into 13 unauthorized entities with dubious intention. According to the EFCC image maker, Oyewale, the agency produced the former Minister in court on Wednesday, September 25, 2024 for trial in allegation involving N33.8 billion fraud. The ex-minister was first arraigned by the EFCC on Thursday, July 11, 2024 on a 12-count charges bordering on conspiracy to commit money laundering to the tune of the N33.8 billion.
At the resumed hearing, the PW1 Abubakar Kweido, an operative of the anti-graft agency being led in evidence by Adeyinka Olumide, SAN, revealed that investigation activities reviewed how the multiple monetary transfers were made from the project account meant for the Mambilla Hydro Electric Power Project into various companies with the aid of BDC operators in foreign currencies, Naira, as well as bank transfers to over 13 entities.
Kweido admitted that an intelligence was assigned to his team, alleging that funds meant for the power plant were diverted through conspiracy by officials in the power sector. The funds, Kweido revealed further, were loans granted Nigeria by China’s Exim Bank. The period of investigation was between 2019 and 2023.
Kweido said, “At the time investigations were carried out, the defendant was the Minister of Power between 2019 and 2021. We commenced investigation by writing letters of investigation to different Ministries and Agencies of the Government and various commercial banks, the responses received reviewed that he authorized the payment to some contractors and companies using One Joint Venture of Tractebel and De-Crown Projects Ltd and Sino Hydro Groups.
“De-Crown projects Ltd was used as project consultant, Sino Hydro groups was the engineering procurement contractor. Our investigation revealed that huge amount of money from the project account of Mambila were sent to different entities that were not authorized on the project, we then wrote letters of investigation activities to Central bank of Nigeria and Office of the Accountant General of the Federation for Mambila and Zungeru Hydroelectric Power Plant Projects. We also submitted the Award Letters of the authorized contractors and we received response letters by the two authorized contractors, De- Crown Projects and Sino Hydro Groups” he said. The letters and responses were tendered and admitted as PWA.
“In addition, four Letters from the Office of the Accountant General comprising account statements and responses were tendered and admitted in evidence as PWb2 and PWb3
Continuing, “when we analyzed the responses, we saw that over N33.8bn from the project account were sent to over 13 entities that are not the authorized contact, some of them are “Prymint Investment Ltd, Gurupche Business Enterprise, Shipikin Global Enterprises, Silverline Ventures, Intech Nigeria Ltd, Breathable Investment Ltd, First Class Contraction Ltd, Spinhillls Biz International Ltd, Fulex Utility Concept Ltd, Platinum enterprise among others”
“We also requested for the bank record of the accounts from Corporate Affairs and other Commercial banks which revealed that persons behind the operation of these entities were mainly one Maina Goje, Abdulahi Suleiman and Abdulahi Garba. We invited them to account for the funds they received from the Mambila project account. They reported to our office where they informed us that they have never applied for any contract with the Federal Ministry of power or the Federal Government. They said they were bureau de change operatives. They also mentioned that all the monies received were disbursed based on the instructions of one Mustapha Abubakar Dida. The disbursements were usually in foreign currencies, Naira cash and sometimes via bank transfers”.
Kweidu further revealed that one Mustapha Dida was the Project Accountant of Manbilla Mambilla and Zungeru Hydroelectric Power Plant Projects and they denied knowing him or the boss, as it was one Mrs. Bawo Idris whom they referred to as Yaro was the only person they had physical contact with.
According to him, “So we invited Mrs Bawo Idris , she volunteered her statement where she mentioned that she was the personal assistant to the defendant as at that time . She also informed us that she also received instructions from the defendant for disbursement which is from his First bank and GTB accounts. Also, one of the accounts that received money from the project account is Sammie Court Resource Ltd. We contacted them and their managing director which he reported and informed us that the said payments were for rentage of one bedroom apartment. He also informed us in writing that the defendant was the one using the apartment. Some other accounts that benefited include Vintage Nigeria Ltd, Abdulahi Suleiman, Fullest Utility Concept, Firstclass Contraction and Project, Golden bond Nig Ltd, AIJ Global, Usman Isah, Abdulkareem Danladi”.
The court adjourned the matter to Wednesday, October 9, 2024 for continuation of trial.
