Former Governor Darius Ishaku Faces 15 Corruption Charges: A Deep Dive Into the EFCC’s Case
The legal walls are closing in on former governor Darius Ishaku, as the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has brought 15 serious corruption charges against him. Presented in a federal high court in Abuja, the charges reveal an alleged web of financial misappropriation involving billions of naira, spanning several years.
In the first two counts, Ishaku and his associate, Yero, are accused of improperly withdrawing a total of N1.10 billion between August 25, 2015, and March 21, 2016. Counts three and four further allege that the defendants “dishonestly diverted” another N1.1 billion of state funds for personal gain.
But the accusations don’t stop there. The charges outline a pattern of misappropriation, including N193 million misused between January 2019 and April 2021 (count five), and N650 million that allegedly went missing during the same period (count six). In count seven, the defendants are said to have taken N170 million for personal use between January 2019 and April 2021.
As the charges pile on, additional allegations emerge of N201.9 million being misappropriated, followed by another N132.1 million between January 2019 and April 2021. The figures grow even larger in counts 10 and 11, where Ishaku and Yero are accused of diverting a staggering N3.3 billion, alongside N639.4 million, during the period from July 2019 to February 2021.
The financial misconduct continues with count 12, where the former governor and Yero are charged with diverting N993 million from September 2016 to February 2021. During May and December 2015, the defendants allegedly misused N90 million.
Counts 14 and 15 fall solely on Ishaku’s shoulders. In these final charges, he is accused of misappropriating N23 million and an additional N761.3 million from October 2016 to January 2018.
The sheer magnitude of these allegations has placed a significant spotlight on Ishaku’s tenure and the systemic issues surrounding the misuse of public funds. As the legal process unfolds, the public will be watching closely to see how justice is served in one of the country’s most high-profile corruption cases.
