The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Tuesday re-arraigned the Accountant-General of Bauchi State, Sirajo Jaja, on N1.49 billion money laundering charges.
He was re-arraigned at the Federal High Court in Abuja alongside a Bureau de Change (BDC) operator, Aliyu Abubakar.
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PREMIUM TIMES reported how the defendants were initially arraigned in April on money laundering charges, which alleged criminal breach of trust and diversion of funds belonging to the Bauchi State Government.
The prosecution re-arraigned them on Tuesday, following an amendment of the charges. The case against the defendants now has five counts, accusing them of diverting a total of Bauchi State’s N1,488,425,629.
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Prosecution lawyer Abba Mohammed, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), told the court on Tuesday that the amended case was filed on 16 June.
He urged the court to accept the amendment and have the charges read to the defendant.
The defence lawyers – Chris Uche, a SAN, for Mr Jaja, and Gordy Uche, also a SAN, for Mr Abubakar – did not oppose the prosecution’s application.
Trial judge Obiora Egwuatu granted the application.
The charges were subsequently read to the defendants, who pleaded not guilty to all five counts.
Bail
After the defendants pleaded entered a not-guilty plea, the defence lawyers urged the judge to allow the defendants to continue on the bail previously granted them in connection with their initial arraignment.
The prosecution did not oppose the application, enabling the judge to grant the request without difficulty.
The previous bail hearing leading to the bail granted the defendants was contentious.
During the hearing, Mr Jaja’s legal team said the case was politically motivated, alleging that it was aimed at intimidating Bauchi State Governor Bala Mohammed, who belongs to the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), over his 2027 political ambition.
The defence team also said the charges were bailable, as they did not involve any capital offence or terrorism-related allegation.
However, the EFCC counsel, Mr Mohammed, told the court that Mr Abubakar had once jumped administrative bail granted him by the anti-graft agency during investigation.
The judge, Mr Egwuatu, eventually granted bail to each of the defendants in the sum of N200 million with two sureties in like sum. This was the bail the judge adopted for both defendants after their re-arraignment on Tuesday.
Trial
The prosecution pushed for trial to commence with the calling of the first prosecution witness on Tuesday.
The prosecutor, Mr Mohammed, informed the court that his first witness was present in court, signalling that he was ready to open the prosecution’s case.
But the defence lawyers requested an adjournment, saying they had not got adequate time to prepare for the case. They said they were only served the amended charges just before proceedings began on Tuesday.
Agreeing with the defence, the judge adjourned further proceedings till 21 July.
The amended charges
In count one, the EFCC alleged that Aliyu Abubakar (trading under the name and style of “Jasfad Resources Enterprise,” a purported Bureau de Change operator), Sirajo Muhammed Jaja (Accountant-General of Bauchi State), Abubakar Mohammed Hafiz, Ari Manger and Muhammed Aminu Bose, sometime between 2024 and 2024, conspired to commit an offence contrary to Section 21(a) and punishable under Section 18(3) of the Money Laundering Act, 2022.
In count two, the EFCC alleged that Mr Abubakar and Mr Jaja, Abubakar Mohammed Hafiz, Ari Manger and Muhammed Aminu Bose, between 29 October and 31 December 2024, transferred the sum of N1,192,234,627.00 of public funds belonging to Bauchi State Government. The money was transferred from the Bauchi State Sub-Treasury Account domiciled in UBA with account number 1018819396, into the account of Jasfad resource enterprise also domiciled in UBA account number 1023444660 thereby committing an offence contrary to Section 18(2)(b) and punishable under Section 18(3) of the Money Laundering Act, 2022.
In count three, the EFCC alleged that the defendants, between 3 January 2025 and 14 March 2025, converted the sum of N296,191,000.00 of public funds belonging to the same government from UBA to the same account number 1023444660 owned by Jasfad Resources Enterprise, also domiciled in UBA.
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In count four, the EFCC alleged that Mr Abubakar, between 29 October and 31 December 2024 in Abuja, not being an authorised dealer of foreign currency under Section 1 of the Foreign Exchange (Monitoring and Miscellaneous Provisions) Act, CAP F34, LFN 2010, negotiated a foreign exchange transaction with the United States Dollar equivalent of N1,192,234,627.00 with the Bauchi State Government, thereby committing an offence contrary to Sections 5 and 29(c) of the same Act and punishable under Section 29(2).
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