By Chuwang Dungs, Jalingo
After series of invitation of some top officials of the Taraba State Government over alleged withdrawal of N21 billion from the state treasury, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has quizzed a personal “cashier” to Governor Darius Ishaku of Taraba State, names witheld, in connection with the transactions.
The EYEWITNESS learnt last Wednesday morning that one of the senior officials from the bureau for local government and chieftaincy affairs earlier invited and interrogated confessed that the bureau raked in cash in billions to the governor through the said cashier for unknown purposes.
It would be recalled that in the last few months no fewer than three top officials of the Taraba State Bureau for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs and  some bank officials have been invited and interrogated by the anti-graft agency in Abuja in relation to the missing cash.
Sources in the state government house said the cashier, who is not a government employee but a personal errand cashier to the governor was quizzed last weekend over his alleged involvement in the deal.
A top EFCC official who also confirmed the arrest said: ‘the agency acted after interrogating a top official of the bureau for local government and chieftaincy affairs, who cooperated with them by revealing that the bulk of the missing money was collected by the cashier on behalf of the governor in trenches.
“We are making progress on the case, those earlier invited, detained and interrogated are cooperating and we are getting all the relevant information.”
He said during interrogation it was revealed that, the said amount was given to the cashier (aide) to the Governor, following approval and directive by the Permanent Secretary of the bureau on the governor’s directive.
“He was invited to clarify why such huge amount of public fund was given to him and what it was used for.”
Some Taraba concerned indigenes who spoke to The EYEWITNESS under condition of anonymity in Jalingo, the state capital, on the ongoing investigation by the anti-graft commission, called on the agency to go beyond investigating local government fund as such sleaze has permeated the entire administration in the state.
The EYEWITNESS reliably gathered that since the arrest of the “cashier,” Governor Darius who returned to the state capital on Sunday evening has been in a bad mood and has refused to attend to any official matter.

When contacted the Senior Special Assistant to the governor on media and publicity, Bala Dan Abu, dismissed the report as false and baseless stressing that the governor doesn’t have any personal “cashier”.
“The governor doesn’t have any personal cashier so there can’t be an arrest of an officer whose office does not even exist.” He noted.