The Accountant General of Bauchi State, Sirajo Jaja was on Monday arraigned for fraud by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC. Jaja was arraigned before Justice Obiora Egwuatu of the Federal High Court, sitting in Maitama, Abuja, alongside a Bureau de Change Operator, Aliyu Abubakar, and his company, Jasfad Resources Enterprise.
Others involved in the case, who are currently at large, include a former Secretary to the Bauchi State Government, Ibrahim Kashim, the incumbent Secretary to the State Government, SSG, Aminu Hammayo, Saleh U. Mohammed and Balarabe Abdullahi.
The defendants are facing a nine-count charge bordering on money laundering, diversion of public funds, and criminal misappropriation of funds to the tune of N8,380,626,430.95.
A statement by the EFCC’s Head of Media and Publicity, Dele Oyewale, said the defendants pleaded not guilty to all charges when they were read to them.
One of the charges reads: “That you, Aliyu Abubakar, Jasfad Resources Enterprise (a Bureau de Change operator), and Ibrahim Kashim (former Secretary to the Bauchi State Government, now at large), sometime between January 5, 2024, and December 10, 2024, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, committed an offence to wit: money laundering by converting and transferring the sum of N2,808,595,100.00 of public funds belonging to the Bauchi State Government from the Bauchi State Expenditure Account, domiciled in United Bank for Africa with account number 1022197086 into the account of Jasfad Resources Enterprise, also domiciled in United Bank for Africa with account number 1023444660, and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 18(2)(b) and punishable under Section 18(3) of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.”
Oyewale said prosecution counsel, Abba Mohammed, senior advocate of Nigeria, SAN, requested a trial date and urged the court to remand them in a correctional facility, while defence counsel, Mohammed Ndayako, SAN, representing the first and second defendants, and Chris Uche, SAN, representing the third defendant, moved applications for their bail.
According to Oyewale, “Uche informed the court that the third defendant, the Accountant General of Bauchi State, played a central role in the state’s financial operations and was already on administrative bail. He urged the court to grant him bail on self-recognition or release him to the Attorney General of Bauchi State, who would undertake to produce him in court.
“The prosecution counsel, in opposing the applications, drew the attention of the court to the fact that the first defendant had previously jumped administrative bail and further informed the court that the third defendant did not reside in Abuja, which made him a flight risk”.
The statement said after hearing the arguments from both sides, Justice Egwuatu granted bail to the defendants in the sum of N200 million each with two sureties in like sum, while the matter was adjourned till June 17, 2025, for the commencement of the trial.
“The sureties, the court held, must be residents of Abuja, of which one must be a federal government employee not below Grade Level 17 and must present evidence of tax payment for the past three years. The court further held that the defendants must deposit their passports with the court registrar.
“Pending the perfection of their bail conditions, the third defendant was released to the Attorney General of Bauchi State, Hassan L. Yakubu, SAN, while Jaja, the first defendant, was remanded in Kuje Correctional Centre, Abuja,” the statement added.