THE ONGOING corruption trial involving Bauchi State’s Accountant-General, Sirajo Jaja, has once again cast a spotlight on Nigeria’s systemic issues around public finance management and the lingering inefficiencies of anti-corruption enforcement at the sub-national level.
Beyond the courtroom drama in Abuja, the staggering figures at the heart of this case highlight enduring challenges in transparency, oversight, and financial discipline in state governance.
On 1 April 2025, Jaja appeared before Justice Obiora Egwuatu of the Federal High Court, Abuja, alongside Aliyu Abubakar—a Bureau de Change operator—and his company, Jasfad Resources Enterprise.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) charged them with multiple offences bordering on money laundering, misappropriation, and diversion of public funds totalling over ₦8.38 billion—a figure that significantly exceeds Bauchi State’s entire budgetary allocation to healthcare and education combined in 2023.
According to court filings and EFCC documentation, the alleged financial misconduct took place between January and November 2024.
Prosecutors say ₦1.8 billion was transferred from the Bauchi State Expenditure Account domiciled in Polaris Bank to various accounts linked to Jasfad Resources Enterprise. Another notable transaction involved the movement of ₦2.8 billion from the state’s UBA account into the Jasfad account—raising questions about procurement protocols and internal control systems within the state’s Ministry of Finance.
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Also named in the charge sheet are several public officials, some of whom remain at large. These include former Secretary to the State Government, Ibrahim Kashim, and incumbent officials such as Aminu Hammayo. Their involvement suggests a potentially broader conspiracy involving high-ranking bureaucrats and shadow financial networks.
One of the nine-count charges, as read in court, specifically accuses the defendants of laundering ₦2,808,595,100.00 in violation of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022. The EFCC contends that these illicit fund transfers were deliberately structured to bypass federal financial reporting requirements, a common tactic in Nigeria’s public sector fraud cases.
According to a 2022 report by BudgIT, over 60% of state budgets in Nigeria are recurrently spent without adequate project-level documentation, increasing the risk of ghost projects and inflated contracts.
Bauchi State, with a population of over 7.5 million, ranks among the poorest in Nigeria. The National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) reports that about 79% of residents live below the poverty line. Against this backdrop, the alleged diversion of billions in public funds represents not only a legal issue but a moral affront to the people whose livelihoods are stunted by underfunded hospitals, failing schools, and an overstretched infrastructure.
During Monday’s proceedings, lead defence counsel Chris Uche, SAN, argued for liberal bail terms, claiming that the charges were politically motivated—allegedly intended to frustrate Governor Bala Mohammed’s rumoured ambitions for the 2027 elections. He emphasised that none of the charges amounted to a capital offence and assured the court that his clients were ready to comply with any conditions imposed.
EFCC counsel Abba Mohammed opposed the motion, citing prior breaches of administrative bail conditions by Abubakar and the fact that Jaja resides outside Abuja, raising flight risk concerns.
Justice Egwuatu ultimately granted bail to all defendants, setting the amount at ₦200 million each, with two sureties in the same amount.
The court specified that one surety must be a Federal Government official not below Grade Level 17 and resident in Abuja. Until the bail conditions are met, Jaja will remain in the custody of the Bauchi State Attorney General, while Abubakar is to be held at Kuje Correctional Centre.
The case has been adjourned to 17 June 2025 for the commencement of trial.
