How Ebitimi Banigo’s Defunct All States Trust Bank Facilitated Ex Gov Joshua Dariye’s Diversion Of N1.126Billion Ecological Fund

Inside details of how former governor Joshua Dariye diverted N1.126billon ecological fund have been unveiled – including the bank that helped him facilitate the anomaly.

According to details available

The sharp practice in the nation’s banking hall was brought to fore yesterday when prosecution Musa Sunday stunned the court with his revelation that Senator Joshua Dariye while he was Governor of Plateau State, personally collected the sum of N1,126billion Ecological funds and lodged same in his personally account at the now defunct All States Trust Bank.

Sunday, a detective with the EFCC, said he was involved in the investigation into how Dariye allegedly diverted Plateau State’s funds while serving as governor.

“When the cheque was ready for collection, the defendant and his orderly, one Inspector Victor, went to the Ecological Funds Office and, upon instruction by the defendant, the aide signed for the cheque and the defendant took the cheque to All States Trust Bank, Abuja.

“Instead of the money to be paid into any of the Plateau State Government’s accounts, the bank used its own bank accounts to clear the cheque and disbursed to individuals and companies as instructed by the defendant.

“Investigation revealed that in the office of the bank manager, the defendant instructed the bank manager how the money should be disbursed to some individuals and companies. The bank’s branch manager complied with the defendant’s instruction.

“Copies of his instructions, both type written and handwritten were made available to us during investigation.”

The witness added that the Bank Manager, allegedly acting on Dariye’s instructions paid N100m in the name of ‘PDP South-West.” The money he said was later traced to a company – Marine Float Nigeria Limited – allegedly owned by former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar.

Sunday, who was led in evidence by the prosecuting counsel, Mr. Rotimi Jacobs (SAN), said efforts to ensure that the firm refunded the money failed.

He said Dariye instructed the payment of N178.8m to an unregistered company – Ebenezer Retnan Venture Limited, which was later discovered to belong to the former governor.

He said investigation also revealed that Dariye ordered the payment of N80m from the ecological funds to the Permanent Secretary in the Ecological Fund Office, Kingsley Nkumeh.

The witness said although the EFCC later recovered the N80m from Nkumeh, he fled the country on learning that he was to be prosecuted.

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