Sirajo Muhammad Jaja, the state accountant-general of Bauchi, has been charged by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) with an N8.3 billion scam.
Jaja was charged by the EFCC on Monday, along with bureau de change operator Aliyu Abubakar and his business, Jasfad Resources Enterprise.
“That you, Aliyu Abubakar, Jasfad Resources Enterprise (a Bureau de Change operator), and Ibrahim Kashim (former Secretary to the Bauchi State Government, now at large), sometime between January 5, 2024, and December 10, 2024, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, committed an offence to wit: money laundering by converting and transferring the sum of Two Billion, Eight Hundred and Eight Million, Five Hundred and Ninety-Five Thousand, One Hundred Naira (N2,808,595,100.00) of public funds belonging to the Bauchi State Government from the Bauchi State Expenditure Account, domiciled in United Bank for Africa with account number 1022197086 into the account of Jasfad Resources Enterprise, also domiciled in United Bank for Africa with account number 1023444660, and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 18(2)(b) and punishable under Section 18(3) of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022,” part of the charge sheet reads.
The defendants pleaded not guilty to the charges.
Other defendants, including Ibrahim Kashim, a former secretary to the Bauchi state government; Aminu Hammayo, secretary to the Bauchi government; Saleh Mohammed; and Balarabe Abdullahi, are currently at large.
REQUEST FOR DATE
The prosecution’s attorney, Abba Mohammed, requested a trial date and appealed for the defendants to be detained to the penitentiary institution after they had entered their pleas.
However, petitions for their clients’ bail were made by Chris Uche, the defence attorney for the third defendant, and Mohammed Ndayako, the defence attorney for the first and second defendants.
The third defendant, the Bauchi accountant-general, is already on administrative bail, but Uche told the court that he was crucial to the state’s financial operations.
After hearing the arguments, Egwuatu granted bail to the defendants in the amount of N200 million each with two sureties in like sum.
The trial judge decided that the two sureties must be Abuja residents, and one of them must be a federal government employee not below grade level 17, and the sureties must provide proof of tax payment for the previous three years.
The counsel prayed that the court grant Jaja bail on self-recognition or release him to the attorney-general of Bauchi, who would undertake to produce him in court.
The judge also ordered the defendants to submit their passports to the court registrar.
Pending the fulfillment of the bail conditions, the court released the third defendant to Hassan Yakubu, attorney-general of Bauchi state.
The other defendant was remanded at the Kuje Correctional Centre, Abuja.
The case was adjourned to June 17 for the commencement of the trial.
