The Third Prosecution Witness, PW3, Taiwo Johns, in the trial of the former Taraba State governor, Darius Dickson Ishaku, alongside the former permanent secretary in the state’s Bureau for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Bello Yero, on Tuesday, July 14, 2026, narrated before Justice S.C. Oriji of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, High Court, Abuja, how local governments in the state were made to transfer funds to his company’s account for the purchase and distribution of Christmas grains.
The transfers made to his P3 Cornerstone account, he said, were on the instruction and directives of his bosses, Yero, the second defendant, Babangida Hassan, the director of finance and John Columba, the chief cashier.
“All the money paid to P3 Cornerstone was based on the directives of my boss, Alhaji Bello Yero, the permanent secretary; Babangida Hassan, the director of finance and John Columba, the chief cashier, who was my immediate boss,” he said.
He disclosed that N30 million was paid into his account by Donga Local Government on July 1, 2019. “I can see a credit of N30 million from Donga LG in Exhibit 9, my credit balance as at the time the money entered was N2 million. After it entered, it became N32m. On the same day, July 1, 2019, a directive came from director of finance, Babangida Hassan that I should withdraw the N30 million in cash and I went to the bank with Dare Lawal and I handed over the money to him.” Lawal is the First Prosecution Witness, PW1.
