Bauchi Accountant-General’s Money Laundering Trial Stalled in Abuja Federal High Court

The trial of Mr. Sirajo Jaja, the Accountant-General (AG) of Bauchi State, and a Bureau de Change (BDC) Operator, Aliyu Abubakar, was stalled on Monday at the Federal High Court in Abuja.

The matter, which had been fixed for the commencement of trial by Justice Obiora Egwuatu on the last adjourned date, could not proceed due to the judge’s engagement.

According to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), Justice Egwuatu, after delivering judgment in the first two matters on the day’s cause list, adjourned the remaining cases, including that of Jaja and Abubakar.

The court has now “fixed Oct. 30 for commencement of trial.”

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) had “on June 17, re-arraigned Mr Jaja and Abubajar on allegations bordering on money laundering.”

Both defendants were arraigned on a five-count amended charge before Justice Egwuatu and “pleaded not guilty to the charge”.

In the amended charge, marked FHC/ABJ/CR/101/2025, Aliyu Abubakar (trading under the name and style of Jasfad Resources Enterprise) is listed as the first defendant, while Mr. Sirajo Jaja is the second defendant.

This amended charge was “dated June 16 and filed June 17”.

The EFCC had initially arraigned Jaja, Abubakar, and his company, Jasfad Resources Enterprise, on April 7. Following their plea to the amended charge, “the judge directed them to continue in the earlier bail terms”.

The anti-graft agency’s allegations, as detailed in count one of the charge, claim that Abubakar (purported BDC operator, trading under Jasfad Resources Enterprise), Jaja, Abubakar Hafiz (at large), Ari Manga (at large), and Muhammed Bose (at large) “sometime between 2024 and 2025, did conspire to commit an offence of money laundering”.

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They are specifically accused of “converting public funds belonging to Bauchi State Government which they allegedly transferred from the Bauchi State Sub-Treasury Account domiciled in United Bank for Africa”.

The prosecution states that this alleged offence is “contrary to Section 21(a) and punishable under Section 18(3) of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022”.

The charge further details that the funds were “alleged to have been transferred from the Bauchi State Sub-Treasury Account domiciled in UBA into the bank account of Jasfad Resources Enterprise domiciled in the same bank”.

Other counts within the charge also cite an alleged offense “contrary to Sections 5 and 29{1)(c) of the Foreign Exchange Monitoring and Miscellaneous (Provisions) Act Cap F34 LFN 2010 and punishable under Section 29(2) of the same Act”.

The trial is now set to begin in late October.