A compliance officer with United Bank for Africa (UBA) on Monday detailed alleged transfers of Bauchi State funds into the account of a private company linked to a defendant in the trial of the accountant-general of the state, Sirajo Muhammed Jaja.
Testifying before Judge Obiora Egwuatu of the Federal High Court, the witness, Williams Abimbola, narrated how several transactions passed from the Bauchi State sub-treasury account into the account of JASFAD Resources Enterprises, according to a statement by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
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The EFCC is prosecuting Mr Jaja alongside Aliyu Abubakar, Abubakar Muhammed Hafiz, Ari Manga and Muhammed Aminu Bose on five money laundering charges involving alleged diversion of public funds and criminal misappropriation of N1.63 billion belonging to the North-east state.
Witness details transactions
Mrs Abimbola, led in evidence by prosecution lawyer Ekele Iheanacho, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), opened her testimony o transactions involving the JASFAD account with three transfers recorded on 29 October 2024.
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“My Lord, on the 29 of October 2024, we have three credit transfers into the account of JASFAD from the Sub-treasury Bauchi Account.
“We have a transfer of N13,144,500, we also had a transfer of N17,169,300, and there is a transfer of N46,030,500,” she said, according to EFCC.
The witness, who said her duties included receiving requests from law enforcement agencies, responding to enquiries and carrying out other assignments from the bank’s chief compliance officer, moved to the transactions recorded in November.
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“On the seventh of November 2024, we had a credit transfer of N17,886,250, but the teller’s details were not captured. It just showed that transfers were made.
“On 15 November, we had two credit transfers transferred by order of the Sub-treasury, Bauchi Account. The amount is N12,215,000 and N16,919,750 respectively.
“On 19 November 2024, we had another transfer by order of the sub-treasury Bauchi account for N90,373,550.
“On November 22, 2024, we had a credit transfer from sub-treasury Bauchi account for N140,087,500.”
December brought more transfers into the account, according to Mrs Abimbola.
“On 24 December 2024, we had two credit transfers by order of sub-treasury Bauchi Account, the first one is for N24,192,000 and the second transfer is N48,892,500.
“On 27 December, 2024, we had two credit transfers by order of sub-treasury Bauchi account into JASFAD, the first is N335,040,000 and the second transfer is for N300,000,000.”
She also told the court about two transfers recorded on 31 December.
“On 31 December, we had two transfers by order of the Sub-treasury Bauchi Account of N14,285,527.20. The second transfer is for N26,975,000.”
The transactions continued in 2025.
“On 25 February, 2025 we had a credit transfer by order of sub-treasury, Bauchi Account to JASFAD Resources of N19,840,000, and N13,020,000,” she said.
“On March 3, 2025, we had a credit transfer by order of sub-treasury, Bauchi account for N16,105,223.70.
“On March 5, 2025, we had a credit transfer of N56,642,500. On March 7, 2025, we had a credit transfer of N45,923,790.
“On March 10, 2025, we had a transfer of N11,253,500.
“On March 12 2025, we had two credit transfer from sub-treasury Bauchi account to JASFAD Resources Enterprises, the first transfer is for N49,280,000, the second transfer is for N30,720,000, while on March 14, 2025, we had a credit transfer by order of sub-treasury, Bauchi account of N28,262,500.”
Mrs Abimbola later returned to the 25 February transactions.
“On 25 February, 2025, there were two credits from the Sub-treasury Bauchi account to the JASFAD Resources account. The first transfer was N19,840,000 while the second transfer was N13,020,000,” she said.
She also clarified the transactions recorded on 27 December 2024.
She told the court that “On December 27, 2024, there were three transfers, the first one is N335,040,000, the second one is N300,000,000 while the third is N26,975,000,”
After her testimony, EFCC tendered the state account statement and the bank’s written statement in support of its case.
Defence lawyers indicated that they would need another date to cross-examine Mrs Abimbola.
Consequently Judge Egwuatu adjourned the case until 22 October for continuation of the witness’s cross-examination.
READ ALSO: EFCC re-arraigns Bauchi’s Accountant General for N1.49 billion fraud
Backstory
The EFCC alleged in the charges that the defendants, as signatories to Bauchi State sub-treasury accounts, transferred public funds from the state accounts to JASFAD Resources Enterprises, which it says was managed by Mr Abubakar.
The present charge arose from an earlier case in which Mr Jaja and Mr Abubakar were arraigned in April 2025 over alleged diversion and laundering of Bauchi State funds.
They were initially charged alongside JASFAD Resources Enterprises and other individuals over alleged transactions involving a larger sum. But the charges were subsequently amended, reducing the case to five counts and the alleged amount to N1.635 billion.
They were re-arraigned in June after the charges were amended.
The amended charge alleges that between 29 October and 31 December 2024, the defendants transferred N1.29 billion in Bauchi State public funds from the state sub-treasury account domiciled with UBA into the JASFAD account at the same bank.
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