By Nkechi Eze
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has re-arraigned the Accountant General of Bauchi State, Sirajo Muhammad Jaja, over his alleged involvement in a N1.48 billion money laundering and public funds diversion scheme. The re-arraignment took place on Tuesday, June 17, 2025, before Justice O.A. Egwuatu of the Federal High Court in Maitama, Abuja.
According to an official statement signed by the EFCC spokesperson, Dele Oyewale, Jaja was arraigned alongside a Bureau de Change operator, Aliyu Abubakar, who is the proprietor of Jasfad Resources Enterprise. The charge also includes three other defendants Abubakar Muhammed Hafiz, Ari Manga, and Muhammed Aminu Bose who are currently at large.
The defendants are being prosecuted on an amended five-count charge that includes allegations of conspiracy, stealing, and laundering of public funds belonging to the Bauchi State Government, totaling N1,488,425,629.00.
One of the major counts in the amended charge reads that between October 29 and December 31, 2024, the defendants allegedly laundered N1,192,234,627.00 by transferring the funds from the Bauchi State Sub-Treasury Account domiciled at United Bank for Africa (UBA), with account number 1018819396, into the UBA account of Jasfad Resources Enterprise, 1023444660. This transaction was allegedly carried out under fraudulent pretenses and in violation of Section 18(2)(b) of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022, and punishable under Section 18(3) of the same law.
Another charge revealed that between January 3 and March 14, 2025, the same parties allegedly transferred an additional N296,191,000.00 of public funds from the same government account into Jasfad Resources Enterprise’s account, also under suspicious circumstances.
Upon the reading of the charges, both Jaja and Abubakar pleaded not guilty. Legal counsels for the defendants, Gordy Uche, SAN, and Chris Uche, SAN, requested that the court allow the defendants to continue on their previously granted bail terms. They also sought an adjournment to give them adequate time to study the newly amended charges.
The prosecuting counsel, Abba Muhammed, SAN, raised no objection to the bail application.
Justice Egwuatu granted the defence’s request, ruling that the subsisting bail conditions should remain in effect. He then adjourned the matter to July 21, 2025, for the commencement of trial.
The case marks a significant development in the EFCC’s ongoing effort to tackle financial crimes involving public officials and the alleged misuse of government resources through fraudulent financial transactions and complicit actors in the financial system.
