By Ayorinde Oluokun
A compliance officer with the United Bank for Africa, UBA, identified as Williams Abimbola on Monday told a Federal High Court in Abuja how the Accountant-General of Bauchi State, Sirajo Muhammed Jaja was allegedly diverting funds from the state coffers to an account of a private company.
Abimbola said this while testifying as the first prosecution witness in the trial of Jaja for corruption by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC.
Jaja is being prosecuted alongside Aliyu Abubakar, Abubakar Muhammed Hafiz, Ari Manga and Muhammed Aminu Bose.
They are being prosecuted by the EFCC on an amended five-count charge of money laundering, diversion of public funds, and criminal misappropriation of funds to the tune of N1,635,270,350.9 (One Billion, Six Hundred and Thirty-five Million, Two Hundred and Seventy Thousand, Three Hundred and Fifty Naira, Nine Kobo).
On Monday, prosecution counsel, Ekele E. Iheanacho, SAN told the court that the matter was for trial before calling in Abimbola as the first witness, PW1 to testify in the court.
The banker told the court that her line of duty includes, among others, receiving requests from law enforcement agencies, responding to enquiries and any other duty assigned to her by the bank’s Chief compliance officer.
The EFCC produced the state account statement and written statement of the bank to support its claim in the court.
It is alleged that the defendants, as signatories to Bauchi State sub-treasury accounts transferred monies from the state Sub-Treasury Accounts to JASFAD Resources Enterprises managed by the first defendant, Aliyu Abubakar.
When the prosecution counsel asked the witness to explain the transaction that happened on 29 October 2024, as well as further transactions, she said, “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.
Providing details of the transactions in the account, the UBA staff said: “On the seventh of November 2024, we had a credit transfer of N17,886,250, but the teller’s details were not captured. It just showed that transfers were made. On 15 November, we had two credit transfers transferred by order of the Sub-treasury, Bauchi Account the amount is N12,215,000 and N16,919,750 respectively.
“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 had a credit transfer from sub-treasury Bauchi account for N140,087,500. Then on 24 December 2024, we had two credit transfers by order of sub-treasury Bauchi Account, the first one is for N24,192,000 and the second transfer is N48,892,500. On 27 December 2024, we had two credit transfers by order of sub-treasury Bauchi account into JASFAD, the first is N335,040,000 and the second transfer is for N300,000,000.
“On the 31 December, we had two transfers by order of the Sub-treasury Bauchi Account of N14,285,527.20k. The second transfer is for N26,975,000.
“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 sub-treasury, Bauchi account for N16,105,223.70k. 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 transfer from 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 sub-treasury, Bauchi account of N28,262,500.”
The witness informed the court that on 25 February 2025, there were two credits from the Sub-treasury Bauchi account to JASFAD Resources account. According to the witness, the first transfer was of N19,840,000 while the second transfer was for N13,020,000. She said “On December 27, 2024, there were three transfers, the first one is N335,040,000, the second one is N300,000,000 while the third is N26,975,000.
Counsels to the defendants said they would take another date to cross-examine the witness.
Justice Egwuatu thereafter adjourned the matter to October 22, 2026, for continuation of cross examination of the witness and continuation of trial.
