Bauchi accountant-general diverts state money to private account
The trial of Bauchi State’s accountant-general, Sirajo Muhammed Jaja, continued at the Federal High Court in Abuja on Monday, with a bank official detailing a series of transfers allegedly made from a state sub-treasury account to a private company.
Jaja is being prosecuted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) alongside Aliyu Abubakar, Abubakar Muhammed Hafiz, Ari Manga and Muhammed Aminu Bose.
The defendants face an amended five-count charge involving alleged money laundering, diversion of public funds and criminal misappropriation totalling about N1.64bn. They are contesting the charges.
At Monday’s hearing before Justice Obiora Egwuatu, prosecution counsel Ekele Iheanacho, SAN, called Williams Abimbola, a compliance officer with United Bank for Africa (UBA), as the first prosecution witness.
Abimbola told the court that her responsibilities included responding to requests and inquiries from law enforcement agencies.
The prosecution tendered bank records relating to transactions involving the Bauchi State sub-treasury account and JASFAD Resources Enterprises.
According to the prosecution, money was transferred from the state sub-treasury accounts to JASFAD Resources Enterprises, which it alleged was managed by Abubakar, the first defendant.
Giving evidence on the transactions, Abimbola said three transfers were made into the JASFAD account from the Bauchi sub-treasury account on 29 October 2024: N13.14m, N17.17m and N46.03m.
She said further transfers followed in November and December 2024, including N90.37m on 19 November, N140.09m on 22 November and two payments of N24.19m and N48.89m on 24 December.
The witness also identified transfers of N335.04m and N300m on 27 December, followed by further payments on 31 December.
Abimbola told the court that the transactions continued into 2025. She identified payments of N19.84m and N13.02m on 25 February and several others in March, including N56.64m on 5 March, N45.92m on 7 March, N49.28m and N30.72m on 12 March, and N28.26m on 14 March.
The testimony forms part of the EFCC’s case against the defendants and has not yet been tested under cross-examination.
Lawyers for the defendants requested another date to cross-examine the witness.
Justice Egwuatu adjourned the case until 22 October 2026 for the continuation of cross-examination and trial.