By EDITH NWAPI

The first prosecution witness (PW1) in the trial of former Taraba Governor, Darius Ishaku, on Tuesday said does know the total amount he collected on his behalf the governor.

Ismail Lawal (PW1) was a Personal Assistant to the former governor said this while testifying at the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court Maitama, Abuja.

Ishaku and Bello Yero, a former Permanent Secretary, Bureau for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs are being prosecuted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for financial fraud allegations.

They are before Justice Sylvanus Oriji, on a 15-count charge, marked FCT/HC/CR/ 792/2024, bordering on criminal breach of trust, conspiracy and conversion of public funds to the tune of N27 billion.

The former governor and his co-defendant, however, pleaded not guilty.

At the resumed sitting, Lawal (PW1), told the court under cross examination by counsel for the former governor, Paul Ogbole SAN, that he collected cash on behalf of the first defendant.

He though he collected money, but he do not know the total amount and the dates he collected the money.

“I collected the first defendant’s earned allowances and distributed them based on his instructions.

“I don’t know the total amount I received on his behalf. I also don’t know the dates,” the witness told the court.

He further said that he too was paid allowances for working with the former governor.

He added that he was paid N20, 000 allowance per day anytime he travelled with his principal.

Lawal said that he was paid N130,000 monthly salary and had a poultry farm at Kubwa, Abuja, with 6,000 birds while working with the former governor.

“The birds were 6,000 then but as of today, they are 2,000. The capacity has diminished.

“As of then, the poultry’s value was about N5million. It is being run by my father and me,” he said.

When shown his notebook he made entries of allowances he collected earlier tendered as exhibit by the prosecution, the witness told the court that the entries were not counter signed by those he collected monies from.

He further said that the notebook was neither a government record nor banking record, adding that the recording he did in the notebook was between him and the former governor.

Answering other questions, Lawal told the court that he was asked to go to Lagos by the first defendant and said that he lodged in hotels, paying N20,000 daily, amounting to N600,000 per month.

According to him, “I was asked to go to Lagos by His Excellency (Ishaku). That was not the first time I had been to Lagos; I have friends and relatives there.

“I stayed in hotels in Lagos. I paid bills for the time I stayed there at N20,000 per day, totalling N600,000 per month. I spent one and seven months there.”

He, however, said that he did not tender any hotel receipts, adding that EFCC operatives that arrested him in his hotel room in Lagos carted away some documents, including some of the receipts.

The PW1 told the court that he was taken to EFCC Lagos office when he was arrested and was brought to Abuja from there same day.

He added that he made statement to the anti-graft agency in Lagos.

Justice Oriji after listening adjourned the case until Oct. 20 for continuation of cross examination of the PW1. (NAN)