EFCC Witness Reveals How Accountant-General Allegedly Moved State Funds To Private Firm
EFCC Witness Reveals How Accountant-General Allegedly Moved State Funds To Private Firm
Jaja is being prosecuted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) alongside Aliyu Abubakar, Abubakar Muhammed Hafiz, Ari Manga and Muhammed Aminu Bose over alleged money laundering, diversion of public funds and criminal misappropriation involving N1,635,270,350.90.
A compliance officer with United Bank for Africa (UBA), Williams Abimbola, has told the Federal High Court in Abuja how several transfers were allegedly made from Bauchi State Government’s Sub-Treasury account into the account of a private company linked to one of the defendants standing trial for alleged money laundering.
Abimbola gave the evidence on Monday, September 21, 2026, as the first prosecution witness in the trial of Bauchi State Accountant-General, Sirajo Muhammed Jaja, and four others before Justice Obiora Egwuatu.
Jaja is being prosecuted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) alongside Aliyu Abubakar, Abubakar Muhammed Hafiz, Ari Manga and Muhammed Aminu Bose over alleged money laundering, diversion of public funds and criminal misappropriation involving N1,635,270,350.90.
The defendants have pleaded not guilty to the amended five-count charge.
At Monday’s proceedings, EFCC counsel, Ekele E. Iheanacho, SAN, called Abimbola, a UBA compliance officer, to testify before the court.
The witness told the court that part of her responsibilities included receiving requests from law enforcement agencies, responding to enquiries and carrying out other duties assigned by the bank’s Chief Compliance Officer.
The prosecution tendered the Bauchi State account statement and a written statement from the bank in support of its case.
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According to the EFCC, the defendants, who were allegedly signatories to Bauchi State Sub-Treasury accounts, caused funds to be transferred from the state accounts into JASFAD Resources Enterprises, a company managed by Aliyu Abubakar.
When Iheanacho asked the witness to explain transactions involving the accounts on October 29, 2024, Abimbola told the court that three separate transfers were made from the Bauchi State Sub-Treasury account into JASFAD’s account.
She identified the transfers as N13,144,500, N17,169,300 and N46,030,500.
The witness further told the court that another N17,886,250 was transferred into the JASFAD account on November 7, 2024.
She said the teller details for that transaction were not captured, but the bank records showed that the transfer was made.
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According to her testimony, two further transfers were made on November 15, 2024, in the sums of N12,215,000 and N16,919,750.
Abimbola said another N90,373,550 was transferred from the Bauchi State Sub-Treasury account to JASFAD on November 19, 2024.
She also told the court that N140,087,500 was transferred to the company on November 22, 2024.
The witness continued by detailing further transactions in December 2024.
She said two transfers of N24,192,000 and N48,892,500 were made to JASFAD on December 24, 2024.
On December 27, 2024, she said, two further transfers were made in the sums of N335,040,000 and N300,000,000.
The witness said another two transfers were made on December 31, 2024, involving N14,285,527.20 and N26,975,000.
The alleged transfers continued into 2025, according to the witness.
Abimbola told the court that on February 25, 2025, N19,840,000 and N13,020,000 were transferred from the Bauchi State Sub-Treasury account to JASFAD Resources Enterprises.
She said N16,105,223.70 was transferred on March 3, 2025, followed by N56,642,500 on March 5 and N45,923,790 on March 7.
According to the witness, another N11,253,500 was transferred on March 10, 2025.
She said two additional transfers were made on March 12, 2025, in the sums of N49,280,000 and N30,720,000.
On March 14, 2025, another N28,262,500 was allegedly transferred from the Bauchi State Sub-Treasury account to JASFAD.
The transactions formed part of the financial records being relied upon by the EFCC in prosecuting the defendants.
The EFCC had alleged in the amended charge that a total of N1.635 billion in Bauchi State Government funds was converted and transferred to JASFAD Resources Enterprises.
The charge alleges that N1.290 billion was transferred from the Bauchi State Sub-Treasury account to JASFAD between October 29 and December 31, 2024, while a further N426.1 million was allegedly transferred between January 3 and March 14, 2025.
Aliyu Abubakar, who operates JASFAD Resources Enterprises, and Jaja are among those facing the charges.
The defendants have denied the allegations by pleading not guilty as the trial continues.
