Court rejects Bauchi AG’s request to travel abroad amid N1.6bn trial
Federal High Court Denies Bauchi State Accountant General’s Travel Request
ABUJA — Justice O.A. Egwuatu of the Federal High Court on Tuesday rejected an application from Sirajo Muhammad Jaja, the Accountant General of Bauchi State, seeking permission to travel to Saudi Arabia for religious pilgrimage and medical treatment while he faces ongoing trial.
Jaja is being prosecuted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) alongside Aliyu Abubakar, who is accused of operating an unlicensed bureau de change. The pair faces an amended five-count charge related to money laundering and the alleged misappropriation of funds belonging to the Bauchi State Government.
The prosecution claims that the amount in question totals N1,635,270,350.90, identifying this as proceeds from unlawful financial transactions.
During Tuesday’s court proceedings, after cross-examining the first prosecution witness, Abimbola Williams, a compliance officer with United Bank for Africa (UBA), defense attorney Chris Uche, SAN, informed the court about Jaja’s application for the temporary release of his international passport. This request was aimed at allowing Jaja to undertake a lesser Hajj and address medical issues.
Uche noted that the prosecution had already responded to the motion. However, counsel for the prosecution, Abba Mohammed, SAN, opposed the application, arguing that the defendant posed a flight risk, particularly since other individuals associated with the charges remain at large.
In a counter-affidavit filed on March 13, the prosecution urged the court to deny the request, contending that substantial grounds were presented to support their position.
After weighing the arguments from both sides, Justice Egwuatu dismissed the application.
The court has scheduled the next hearing for June 30, 2026, to continue the trial proceedings.
