The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Tuesday re-arraigned the Accountant-General (AG), Bauchi State, Sirajo Jaja and a Bureau de Change (BDC) Operator, Aliyu Abubajar, for alleged N1. 63 billion money laundering .

Messrs Jaja and Abubakar were re-arraigned on a second amended charge before Justice Obiora Egwuatu of the Federal High Court in Abuja.

They, however, pleaded not guilty to the five-count charge.

The EFCC had, on April 7, 2025, arraigned Jaja, Abubakar and his company, Jasfad Resources Enterprise, as 1st, 2nd and 3rd defendants respectively.

However, the commission had, on June 17, 2025, re-arraigned Mr Abubakar, trading under the name and style of Jasfad Resources Enterprise, as 1st defendant in the amended charge, and named Mr Jaja as 2nd defendant.

Meanwhile, in the second amended charge, marked: FHC/ABJ/CR/101/2025 dated and filed on January 5, Mr Abubakar (trading under the name and style of Jasfad Resources Enterprise) and Mr Jaja were listed as 1st and 2nd defendants.

Upon resumed hearing, Abba Mohammed, SAN, who appeared for the EFCC, informed the court that the commission filed a second amended charge on January 5.

He prayed the court for the defendants to take their plea.

Mr Jaja’s lawyer, Gordy Uche, SAN, told the court that he had filed a motion challenging the competence of the charge.

He urged the court to take his motion before the defendants take their plea.

Mr Mohammed disagreed with Mr Uche’s submission.

He argued that the position of the law is that when an amended charge is filed, it takes precedence over other motions, citing Section 396(2) of Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA), 2015.

Besides, he said the prosecution had a witness in court and that the witness had been coming to court for the third time.

Justice Egwuatu then ordered that the latest charge be read to the defendants to take their plea.

After the not guilty plea, 1st defendant’s lawyer, Gordy Uche, SAN, and 2nd defendant’s counsel, Chris Uche, SAN, applied that their clients should continue with the earlier bail terms and Mr Mohammed did not oppose it.

The judge equally granted the application by the 1st defendant’s lawyer to move his motion challenging the competence of the charge.

Mr Gordy said the motion on notice was dated and filed on January 8.

The lawyer said the motion prayed for an order striking out counts 2, 3, 4 and 5 of the charge for being incompetent.

Mr Gordy, who argued that these counts were act of duplicity of action, urged the court to strike them out so that the defendants would not suffer double jeopardy.

Mr Chris, who aligned with Mr Gordy’s argument, prayed the court to accede to their application.

But Mr Mohammed disagreed with the defence arguments.

He submitted that the counts focused on different financial transactions with different dates.

He adopted all his processes and urged the court to dismiss the application.

Citing Section 392(2) of ACJA, 2015, the judge reserved ruling on the motion until the end of the trial.

The EFCC then called its first prosecution withess (PW-1), Abimbola Williams, a Compliant Officer with the United Bank for Africa (UBA).

Ms Williams gave evidence on how multi million naira belonging to Bauchi State was allegedly moved from Bauchi State Sub-Treasury Account number: 1018819396, to Jasfad Resources Enterprise account number: 1023444660, domiciled in UBA.

Ms Willians, who said she had been working in the bank for about 20 years, said a letter was received from the anti-graft commission last year that some of their customers were under investigation.

“The request asked for the bank statements of Jaspa Resources account, Bauchi State Sub-Treasury account and this request was received and the documents printed and copies given to EFCC,” she said.

The banker, who said that the documents were certified by her, tendered them through the prosecution and the judge admitted them in evidence and marked them as exhibits.

Although the defence lawyers raised an objection, they said their objection would be sustained in their written addresses.

After Mr Mohammed concluded the evidence-in-chief of the PW-1, Justice Egwuatu adjourned the matter until May 12 for continuation of trial.

In count two, Mr Abubakar, trading under the name and style of Jasfad Resources, a purported BDC Operator; Mr Jaja who is Bauchi AG; Abubakar Mohammed Hafiz (at large), Ari Manga (at large) and Muhammed Aminu Bose (at large), between October 29, 2024 and December 31, 2024, were alleged to have committed a money laundering offence.

They were accused of converting the sum of one billion, two hundred and nine million, one hundred and fifty four thousand, three hundred and thirty seven naira, two kobo (N1,209,154,337.2) of public funds belonging to the Bauchi State Government which they allegedly transferred from the Bauchi State Sub-Treasury Account domiciled in UBA with account number: 1018819396 into the bank account of Jasfad Resources domiciled in UBA with account number: 1023444660.

In count three, the defendants and others at large were alleged to have, between January 3, 2025 and March 14, 2025, committed money laundering offence.

They were alleged to have converted the sum of four hundred and twenty six million, one hundred and sixteen thousand, thirteen naira, seven kobo (N426,116,013.7) of public funds belonging to the Bauchi State Government which they allegedly transferred from the Bauchi State Sub-Treasury Account into the bank account of Jasfad Resources Enterprise.

The offences, the prosecution said, are contrary to Section 18(2)(b) and punishable under Section 18(3) of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.

(NAN)