Ex-Plateau Governor Dariye involves Obasanjo in N1.1bn fraud

Recently released former governor of Plateau state, Joshua Dariye has opened up over the alleged misappropriated N1.126 billion during his time as governor between 1999 to 2007, The Nation newspaper reported.

While speaking during an interview on Channels Television programme, “Newsnight” on Monday, October 10, Dariye said he used part of the money to foster the re-election campaign of former president Olusegun Obasanjo in 2003.

He said:

“(The sum of) N800 million went to the Plateau State account; N100 million went to PDP Southwest and another N100 million went to the Obasanjo campaign organization; N80 million went to the ecological fund and then N66 million went to PDP Plateau State.

“What was missing was about N4 million, which is the commission of turnover.”

While also narrating his ordeals in prison, the former Plateau state governor revealed that his imprisonment was politically triggered.

Dariye was nabbed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), in 2007 for an alleged diversion of public funds worth N1.126 billion for the state’s ecology.

Dariye was sentenced to 14 years in prison after a verdict was issued by a federal high court sitting in Abuja.

Dariye who was not pleased with the decision of the high court resorted to filing an appeal to the appellate court.

At appeal, his sentence was reduced by 4 years and the supreme court also affirmed the initial judgment of the appellate court.

The former governor also revealed that the current state of Nigeria’s correctional facility does not depict an environment for reform, rather it compounds the problems of inmates.

He said:

“The correctional centre is one republic that is a government on its own. They don’t have the best of facilities, I must say. It’s not habitable for human beings, and I think the Federal Government must have a look at it.”

Meanwhile, the former plateau state governor has said he is not contesting for Senate in the 2023 general elections.

There have been speculations that Dariye will pick up the Labour Party ticket to contest the Senate seat of Plateau Central.

The former governor who recently regained his freedom from prison, however, said he has no such plan.
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