Sirajo Jaja, Bauchi’s accountant-general, was, on Monday, arraigned before the Federal High Court, Abuja Division, over allegations bordering on money laundering.
Mr Jaja was arraigned by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission before Justice Obiora Egwuatu.
He was arraigned alongside Aliyu Abubakar, a bureau de change operator and his company.
After the counts were read to them, they pleaded not guilty to the charge marked FHC/ABJ/CR/101/2025.
The defence lawyer, Chris Uche, informed the court of a motion filed concerning his client’s bail. He prayed the court to grant them bail on liberal terms.
Mr Uche, in his application for bail, argued that the charges against Mr Jaja allegedly arose from the federal government’s determination to intimidate Governor Bala Mohammed to drop his political ambition for 2027.
The lawyer said the offence with which they were being charged was a bailable one. He said the defendants were not being accused of any capital offence or acts of terrorism that would have warranted their continued detention.
He assured the court that the accountant-general had reasonable sureties to stand for him and produce him whenever required by the court.
However, the EFCC’s lawyer, Abba Muhammed, opposed Mr Uche’s application.
Mr Muhammed, who said the commission filed a counter affidavit to the bail applications, said Mr Abubakar (first defendant) had earlier jumped administrative bail.
He said the accountant-general was equally granted administrative bail but failed to meet the bail conditions. He urged the court to ignore their plea.
In his ruling, the judge held that bail is a constitutional right which must be exercised by the court judicially and judiciously. He subsequently granted bail of N200 million each, with two sureties also posting the same bail.
The judge said the sureties must be residents in Abuja, and one of the sureties must hold the position of a director with a federal government agency.
The judge directed the defendants to deposit their passports with the court and must get the permission of the court whenever they needed to travel out of the country.
Justice Egwuatu also ordered Mr Jaja to be released to the attorney general and commissioner of Bauchi pending the perfection of his bail within a given time.
The judge, however, ordered that if they failed to perfect their bail conditions within the period, they should be remanded in Kuje Correctional Centre.
He adjourned the matter until June 17 for the commencement of the trial.
Mr Abubajar, Jasfad Resources Enterprise, and Mr Jaja were listed as the first to third defendants.
The EFCC alleged that Mr Abubakar, Jasfad Resources Enterprise, Ibrahim Kashim (former secretary to the Bauchi government, now at large), Danjuma Garba (at large), Kabiru Yahaya (at large), Saleh U. Mohammed (at large), and Balarabe Abdullahi (at large) between July 10, 2024 and November 25, 2024 allegedly transferred and converted N1,805,435,053.75 of public funds belonging to the Bauchi government.
It alleged that the fund was transferred from Bauchi’s expenditure account domiciled in Polaris Bank into the bank accounts of Jasfad Resources Enterprise.
The offence is contrary to and punishable under the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022, among other counts.
(NAN)
