The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has re-arraigned Bauchi State Accountant-General, Sirajo Muhammad Jaja, alongside an alleged unlicensed Bureau de Change operator, Aliyu Abubakar, before the Federal High Court in Abuja over an alleged N1.63 billion fraud.
The defendants were brought before Justice O. A. Egwuatu on Tuesday, April 28, 2026, on an amended five-count charge bordering on the alleged conversion of public funds belonging to the Bauchi State Government and money laundering.
The anti-graft agency had earlier arraigned the duo on April 7, 2025, but the fresh proceedings followed a second amended charge marked FHC/ABJCR/101/2025, dated January 5, 2026. In the revised filing, Abubakar, said to be trading under Jasfad Resources Enterprises, was listed as the first defendant, while Jaja became the second.
At the resumed hearing, prosecution counsel Abba Muhammed, SAN, informed the court that the prosecution had filed a second amended charge and requested that the defendants take their pleas.
According to the charge, the defendants allegedly engaged in multiple transactions involving the movement of public funds from the Bauchi State Sub-Treasury Account domiciled in United Bank for Africa into accounts linked to Jasfad Resources Enterprises. One of the counts alleges that the sum of N1,290,154,337.2 was transferred between October and December 2024, while another alleges the movement of N426,116,013.7 between January and March 2025.
The offences are said to contravene Section 18(2)(b) and are punishable under Section 18(3) of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.
Both defendants pleaded not guilty to all the charges.
Following their plea, defence counsel Gordy Uche, SAN, and Chris Uche, SAN, representing the first and second defendants respectively, urged the court to allow their clients to continue enjoying the bail earlier granted. The prosecution did not oppose the application, and the court accordingly maintained the existing bail conditions.
