Alleged N1.63bn Money Laundering: EFCC Re-arraigns Bauchi Accountant-General, One Other

Abuja, Nigeria — April 29, 2026

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Tuesday, April 28, 2026, re-arraigned Bauchi State Accountant-General, Sirajo Muhammad Jaja, alongside an alleged unlicensed Bureau de Change operator, Aliyu Abubakar, before the Federal High Court in Abuja over alleged money laundering amounting to N1.63 billion.

The defendants were re-arraigned before Justice O. A. Egwuatu on an amended five-count charge bordering on the conversion of public funds belonging to the Bauchi State Government and related financial crimes.

The anti-graft agency had earlier arraigned the duo on April 7, 2025, with Jaja listed as the first defendant and Abubakar as the second.
However, in the amended charge marked FHC/ABJCR/101/2025, dated January 5, 2026, and filed the same day, Abubakar, who operates under the name Jasfad Resources Enterprises, was listed as the first defendant, while Jaja became the second.
At the resumed hearing, prosecution counsel, Abba Muhammed, SAN, informed the court of a second amended charge and urged the court to allow the defendants to take their pleas.

According to the charge, the defendants, alongside others currently at large, allegedly conspired to convert large sums of public funds from the Bauchi State Sub-Treasury Account domiciled in the United Bank for Africa into an account linked to Jasfad Resources Enterprises.
One of the counts alleged that between October 29 and December 31, 2024, the defendants transferred over N1.29 billion of public funds into the said account, while another count stated that between January 3 and March 14, 2025, an additional N426.1 million was similarly moved, in violation of provisions of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.
The prosecution maintained that the transactions constituted money laundering offences punishable under the law.

Both defendants pleaded not guilty to all charges.
Following their pleas, counsel to the first and second defendants, Gordy Uche, SAN, and Chris Uche, SAN, respectively, applied for the court to allow their clients to continue enjoying the bail earlier granted to them. The prosecution did not oppose the application.
Justice Egwuatu subsequently adjourned the matter for continuation of trial.