The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has arraigned the Accountant-General of Bauchi State, Sirajo Muhammad Jaja, and Aliyu Abubakar, a Bureau de Change operator, over an alleged ₦8.3 billion fraud.
The defendants, including Abubakar’s company, Jasfad Resources Enterprise, faced a nine-count charge for money laundering, diversion of public funds, and criminal misappropriation of funds amounting to ₦8,380,626,430.95.
The arraignment occurred before Justice O.A. Egwuatu at the Federal High Court in Abuja on Monday.
The charge sheet states that Aliyu Abubakar and Jasfad Resources Enterprise, alongside Ibrahim Kashim (the former Secretary to the Bauchi State Government, currently at large), are accused of laundering ₦2.8 billion.
The money, part of the Bauchi State government’s funds, was allegedly transferred from the Bauchi State Expenditure Account at United Bank for Africa into Jasfad Resources Enterprise’s account between January 5, 2024, and December 10, 2024.
The charge reads in part: “That you, Aliyu Abubakar, Jasfad Resources Enterprise, and Ibrahim Kashim, sometime between January 5, 2024, and December 10, 2024… committed an offence to wit: money laundering by converting and transferring the sum of ₦2,808,595,100.00 of public funds from the Bauchi State Expenditure Account into the account of Jasfad Resources Enterprise.”
The defendants pleaded not guilty to the charges.
Along with Jaja and Abubakar, other individuals, including Ibrahim Kashim (former Bauchi State Secretary), Aminu Hammayo (Secretary to the Bauchi State Government), Saleh Mohammed, and Balarabe Abdullahi, are implicated in the fraud but are currently at large.
After the defendants took their pleas, the prosecution, led by Abba Mohammed, sought a trial date and requested that the defendants be remanded in a correctional facility.
Defense counsels, Mohammed Ndayako (for Jaja and Abubakar) and Chris Uche (for the third defendant), applied for bail. Uche argued that Jaja, who had a key role in the state’s finances, was already on administrative bail and requested that he be granted bail on self-recognition or released to the Bauchi State Attorney-General, who would guarantee his appearance in court.
The prosecution opposed the bail request, stating that Jaja was not residing in Abuja and could be a flight risk.
After hearing the arguments, Justice Egwuatu granted bail to the defendants in the sum of ₦200 million each, with two sureties in like sum. The sureties must be residents of Abuja, with one being a federal government employee not below grade level 17. They must also provide evidence of tax payment for the past three years.
The judge also ordered the defendants to submit their passports to the court registrar. Pending the fulfillment of the bail conditions, Jaja was released to the custody of the Attorney-General of Bauchi State, Hassan Yakubu, while Abubakar was remanded at the Kuje Correctional Centre in Abuja.
The case has been adjourned to June 17 for the commencement of the trial.
