The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Tuesday re-arraigned the Accountant-General of Bauchi State, Sirajo Muhammad Jaja, alongside an alleged unlicensed Bureau de Change operator, Aliyu Abubakar, over an alleged N1.63 billion money laundering scheme.

The duo were re-arraigned before Justice O. A. Egwuatu of the Federal High Court, Abuja, on an amended five-count charge bordering on the alleged conversion of public funds belonging to the Bauchi State Government.

According to the anti-graft agency, the offences involve transactions totalling N1,635,270,350.9, allegedly moved through accounts linked to Jasfad Resources Enterprises, a firm described as an unregistered Bureau de Change operator.

The defendants, who were initially arraigned in April 2025, pleaded not guilty to the amended charges.

At the resumed hearing, the prosecution counsel, Abba Muhammed, SAN, informed the court of the amended charge and requested that the defendants take their plea, which was subsequently entered.

Following the plea, defence counsel, Gordy Uche, SAN, and Chris Uche, SAN, representing the first and second defendants respectively, applied for the continuation of the bail earlier granted to their clients, a request that was not opposed by the prosecution.

Proceedings took a significant turn as the prosecution opened its case, calling its first witness, Abimbola Williams, a compliance officer with United Bank for Africa (UBA), who testified on the movement of funds linked to the case.

Williams told the court that the bank received a request from the EFCC in February 2025 seeking account statements and documentation relating to Jasfad Resources and the Bauchi State Sub-Treasury Account.

“The request asked for the bank statements of Jaspa Resources account, Bauchi State Sub-treasury account and the documents were printed and copies given to EFCC,” she said.

She further explained that the documents were certified and tendered in court as exhibits, although defence counsel raised objections to their admissibility, which they said would be addressed in their final written submissions.

Detailing the transactions, the witness alleged that multiple transfers were made from the Bauchi State Sub-Treasury account into the account of Jasfad Resources.

She cited specific instances, including transfers on October 29, 2024, amounting to N13,144,500 and N7,196,300, as well as two separate transfers on October 30, 2024, totalling over N57 million.

The witness added that similar transactions occurred on at least 18 different occasions within the period under review, suggesting a pattern of repeated fund movements.

The EFCC, in the charge, alleged that between October 2024 and March 2025, the defendants conspired with others still at large to move over N1.29 billion and an additional N426 million from the state’s sub-treasury account into private accounts, in violation of provisions of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.

In response, the defence filed a motion challenging the competence of the charges, arguing that several counts amounted to duplication and could expose the defendants to double jeopardy.

Justice Egwuatu, however, reserved ruling on the objection until the conclusion of trial, in line with provisions of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, 2015.

Following the conclusion of the first witness’s testimony, the court adjourned proceedings until May 12 for continuation of trial.

Source: PM News