Justice Sylvanus Oriji of a Federal Capital Territory High Court on Wednesday granted permission to the former governor of Taraba State, Darius Ishaku, to travel to Arjam, United Arab Emirates for his routine medical checkup.

The judge granted the leave after hearing a motion filed through his counsel, Paul Ogbole, SAN.

Mr Ishaku is being prosecuted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission on behalf of the federal government, alongside a former permanent secretary, Bureau for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs in the state, Bello Yero.

The defendants were charged with 15 counts of criminal breach of trust, conspiracy, and conversion of public funds to the tune of N27 billion.

They, however, pleaded not guilty to the charge.

While moving the motion, Mr Ogbole told the court that it was brought pursuant to Sections 6 (6) and 41 (1) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, seeking an order of the court to allow the former governor to travel to the UAE for a medical checkup.

Mr Ogbole said the former governor’s health had deteriorated.

Responding, the prosecution counsel, Rotimi Oyedepo, SAN, said the first defendant/applicant did not specify the duration of his stay in the UAE, adding that this ought to be supplied to the court.

After listening to parties, Mr Oriji, in his brief ruling, held that as part of the bail conditions granted the former governor on October 3, 2024, he must not travel out of the country without first applying for the leave of court.

He added that this must have necessitated the application.

He, therefore, granted permission for the former governor to travel out of the country.

The judge subsequently adjourned the case to March 17 for continuation of hearing.

Earlier, the judge had admitted two notebooks with 11 pieces of paper sought to be tendered by the prosecution counsel, Rotimi Jacobs, SAN, through the fifth prosecution witness (PW5), Ismail Oluwadamilare Lawal, on Tuesday.

Mr Oriji overruled the objection by counsel for Mr Ishaku, Ogbole SAN, on the admissibility of the pieces of paper, though he did not object to the notebooks being admitted as exhibits.

Continuing with his evidence-in-chief before the court, Mr Lawal, a former personal assistant to Mr Ishaku, said he used to get cash from different people on the instructions of the former governor.

According to him, such people included the Permanent Secretary of Government House, Jalingo, Chindo Audu; and the Taraba State Liaison Officer in Abuja, Dauda, Galiya Lodiya.

He added that a brother to his principal, Victor Comlavi, was not an employee of the state government.

Reading from one of the notebooks admitted by the court and marked Exhibit 3, the PW5 informed the court that he paid various sums of money as approved by his principal to different people either in cash or through bank accounts.

“He never questioned any payment made by me on his behalf. After I make payments, they (recipients) must call His Excellency to confirm payment. On the face of the write-up, His Excellency usually crossed it and wrote the date. This means that he is satisfied with what I have done,” Mr Lawal told the court.

He further told the court that aside from his entry of December 5, 2020 in Exhibit 3, on the directive of the former governor, he paid salaries of personal staff of his principal as well as the gatemen of Mr Ishaku’s house in Takum and the utilities.

(NAN)