Nigeria’s anti-corruption watchdog, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), on Tuesday, re-arraigned Sirajo Jaja, the serving Accountant-General of Bauchi State, alongside a bureau de change operator, Aliyu Abubakar, over a series of money laundering allegations involving state funds.
The two defendants appeared before Justice Obiora Egwuatu at the Federal High Court in Abuja, where they denied all five amended charges.
Initially arraigned in April, Jaja and Abubakar, along with Abubakar’s company Jasfad Resources Enterprise, are facing accusations of illicitly moving public funds. The latest filing places Abubakar, trading as Jasfad, as the primary defendant, and Jaja as the second.
According to the EFCC’s lead counsel Abba Mohammed, SAN, the prosecution filed an updated charge sheet and additional evidence on 16 June. He asked the court to proceed with reading the new charges—a request that went uncontested by the defence teams.
Though prepared to begin trial with a witness already in attendance, the EFCC’s efforts were delayed after defence lawyers Gordy Uche, SAN and Chief Chris Uche, SAN cited insufficient time to review the newly submitted documents.
“The amended charge and accompanying documents were only served to us yesterday evening,” Abubakar’s counsel told the court. “We have not had time to confer with our client, let alone prepare a response.”
Agreeing with the need for more preparation time, the judge postponed the case to 21 July 2025, maintaining the existing bail terms for both defendants.
The EFCC alleges that between 2024 and 2025, the accused, along with unnamed accomplices currently at large, conspired to divert public money from the Bauchi State Sub-Treasury Account at UBA Bank into the private account of Jasfad Resources Enterprise. The funds were allegedly channelled under the guise of legitimate financial transactions.
The charges, which include violations of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022, and the Foreign Exchange Monitoring and Miscellaneous Provisions Act, carry severe legal penalties if the accused are convicted.
The case is expected to be closely watched, given the senior position of the state official involved and its implications for Nigeria’s ongoing anti-corruption efforts.
