THE Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) arraigned the Accountant General (AG) of Bauchi State, Sirajo Muhammad Jaja, on Monday, April 7, 2025, before O.A. Egwuatu of the Federal High Court (FHC), sitting in Maitama, Abuja, over alleged N8.3bn fraud.
Jaja was arraigned alongside a bureau de change operator, Aliyu Abubakar, and his company, Jasfad Resources Enterprise.
According to a statement released by the EFCC through its head, media and publicity, Dele Oyewale, on Monday, others involved in the case, who are currently at large, include a former Secretary to the Bauchi State Government, Ibrahim Kashim; the incumbent SSG, Aminu Hammayo, Saleh U. Mohammed; and Balarabe Abdullahi.
The defendants are facing a nine-count charge paon money laundering, diversion of public funds, and criminal misappropriation of funds to the tune of N8. 3 billion.
They pleaded not guilty to all charges, following which prosecution counsel, Abba Mohammed, a senior advocate, requested a trial date and urged the court to remand them to a correctional facility, while defence counsel, Mohammed Ndayako, also a senior advocate representing the first and second defendants, and Chris Uche, senior advocate, representing the third defendant, moved for their bail.
Uche told the court that the third defendant, the Accountant General of Bauchi State, played a central role in the state’s financial operations and was already on administrative bail.
He urged the court to grant him bail on self-recognition or release him to the Attorney General of Bauchi State, who would undertake to produce him in court.
The prosecution counsel, in opposing the applications, drew the attention of the court to the fact that the first defendant had previously jumped administrative bail and further informed the court that the third defendant did not reside in Abuja, which made him a flight risk.
“We filed a 17-paragraph counter-affidavit on April 4, 2025, deposed to by Ogundana Peter Kolawole, alongside a written address. We adopt both and urge the court to refuse the third defendant’s application for bail,” he said.
After hearing the arguments from both sides, Egwuatu granted bail to the defendants in the sum of N200 million each with two sureties in like sum.
The sureties, the court held, must be residents of Abuja, of which one must be a federal government employee not below Grade Level 17 and must present evidence of tax payment for the past three years.
The court further held that the defendants must deposit their passports with the court registrar.
Pending the perfection of their bail conditions, the third defendant was released to the Attorney General of Bauchi State, Hassan L. Yakubu, while Jaja, the first defendant, was remanded in Kuje Correctional Centre, Abuja.
The matter was adjourned till June 17, 2025, for the commencement of trial.
A reporter with the ICIR
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