The trial of Mr Sirajo Jaja, the Accountant-General (AG), Bauchi State, and a Bureau de Change (BDC) Operator, Aliyu Abubajar, was on Monday, stalled at the Federal High Court in Abuja.
The matter, which was fixed for the commencement of trial by Justice Obiora Egwuatu on the last adjourned date, could not proceed due to the judge’s engagement.
Justice Egwuatu, after delivering judgment in the first two matters on the day’s cause list, adjourned the remaining cases.
The court subsequently fixed Oct. 30 for the commencement of the trial.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) had, on June 17, re-arraigned Mr Jaja and Abubajar on allegations bordering on over N1.4bn money laundering.
Jaja and Abubakar were arraigned on a five-count amended charge before Justice Egwuatu.
According to the EFCC, the defendants allegedly diverted a total of N1,488,425,629.00 belonging to the Bauchi State Government between October 2024 and March 2025.
One of the charges reads:
“That you, Aliyu Abubakar (trading as Jasfad Resources Enterprise), Sirajo Muhammad Jaja (Accountant General of Bauchi State), Abubakar Muhammed Hafiz (at large), Ari Manga (at large), and Muhammed Aminu Bose (at large), between October 29 and December 31, 2024, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, committed money laundering by converting the sum of N1,192,234,627.00, public funds belonging to Bauchi State, which was transferred from the Bauchi State Sub-Treasury account to the Jasfad Resources Enterprise account, both domiciled in UBA.”
Another count accused the defendants of laundering an additional N296,191,000.00 between January and March 2025 using the same method.
They pleaded not guilty to the charge.
The EFCC had, on April 7, arraigned Jaja, Abubakar and his company, Jasfad Resources Enterprise, as 1st, 2nd and 3rd defendants respectively.
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However,in the latest charge, while Abubakar (trading under the name and style of Jasfad Resources Enterprise) is the 1st defendant in the amended charge marked: FHC/ABJ/CR/101/2025, Jaja is listed as 2nd defendant.
The amended charge was dated June 16 and filed June 17.
After the duo took their plea, the judge directed them to continue in the earlier bail terms.
The anti-graft agency, in count one, alleged that Abubakar (trading under the name and style of Jasfad Resources Enterprise), a purported BDC operator; Jaja; Abubakar Hafiz (at large); Ari Manga (at large) and Muhammed Bose (at large), sometime between 2024 and 2025, did conspire to commit an offence of money laundering.
They were accused of converting public funds belonging to the Bauchi State Government, which they allegedly transferred from the Bauchi State Sub-Treasury Account domiciled in United Bank for Africa.
The offence is said to be contrary to Section 21(a) and punishable under Section 18(3) of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.
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The funds were alleged to have been transferred from the Bauchi State Sub-Treasury Account domiciled in UBA into the bank account of Jasfad Resources Enterprise domiciled in the same bank.
The offence is said to be contrary to Sections 5 and 29 (1)(c) of the Foreign Exchange Monitoring and Miscellaneous (Provisions) Act Cap F34 LFN 2010 and punishable under Section 29(2) of the same Act, among other counts. (NAN)
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