How Bauchi accountant-general transferred funds to private company: Witness
Williams Abimbola, a compliance officer with United Bank for Africa, has testified in the ongoing trial of Bauchi’s accountant-general, Sirajo Jaja, at the Abuja Division of the Federal High Court.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission is prosecuting Mr Siraj alongside Aliyu Abubakar, Abubakar Muhammed Hafiz, Ari Manga and Muhammed Aminu Bose on a five-count amended charge bordering on money laundering, theft, and criminal conversion of public funds.
The defendants were accused of misappropriating public funds totalling N1,635,270,350. They pleaded not guilty to the charges.
Ms Abimbola, who led evidence for the prosecution on Monday, Ekele Iheanacho, alleged that the defendants, as signatories to Bauchi’s sub-treasury accounts, transferred money from the accounts to JASFAD Resources Enterprises, managed by the first defendant, Mr Abubakar.
“My Lord, on the 29 of October 2024, we have three credit transfers into the account of JASFAD from the sub-treasury Bauchi account. We have a transfer of N13,144,500. We also had a transfer of N17,169,300, and there is a transfer of N46,030,500,” Ms Abimbola said in a statement by the EFCC.
While noting that JASFAD’s account received N17,886,250 on November 7, 2024, without the teller’s details being captured, the compliance officer explained that two credit transfers of N12,215,000 and N16,919,750 were made into the account by order of the sub-treasury Bauchi account.
“On 19 November, 2024, we had another transfer by order of the sub-treasury Bauchi account for N90,373,550. On November 22, 2024, we received a credit transfer from the sub-treasury Bauchi account for N140,087,500. Then, on 24 December, 2024, we had two credit transfers by order of the Sub-Treasury Bauchi Account: the first was N24,192,000, and the second was N48,892,500.
“On 27 December, 2024, we had two credit transfers by order of sub-treasury Bauchi account into JASFAD; the first was N335,040,000, and the second transfer was for N300,000,000. On 31 December, we had two transfers by order of the Sub-treasury Bauchi Account of N14,285,527.20. The second transfer is for N26,975,000,” Ms Ambibola explained.
She added, “On 25 February 2025, we had a credit transfer by order of sub-treasury, Bauchi Account to JASFAD Resources of N19,840,000 and N13,020,000. On March 3, 2025, we had a credit transfer by order of the sub-treasury, Bauchi account for N16,105,223.70. On March 5, 2025, we had a credit transfer of N56,642,500.
“On March 7, 2025, we had a credit transfer of N45,923,790. On March 10, 2025, we had a transfer of N11,253,500. On March 12 2025, we had two credit transfers from the sub-treasury Bauchi account to JASFAD Resources Enterprises. The first transfer is for N49,280,000. The second transfer is for N30,720,000, while on March 14, 2025, we had a credit transfer by order of the sub-treasury, Bauchi account of N28,262,500.”
The counsel to the defendants said they would take another date to cross-examine the witness after the testimony.
The trial judge, Obiora Egwuatu, adjourned the matter until October 22, 2026, for the witness’s cross-examination.
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