The Abuja division of the Federal High Court has ordered that Bauchi State Commissioner of Finance Yakubu Adamu and his co-defendants be remanded in Kuje Correctional Centre until January 5, 2026, when it will rule on their bail applications.
They were arraigned before Justice Emeka Nwite by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on a 10-count charge of alleged $9.7 million terrorist financing.
Others arraigned alongside Adamu in the charge, marked FHC/ABJ/CR/705/2025, are Balarabe Abdullahi Ilelah, Aminu Mohammed Bose, and Kabiru Yahaya Mohammed, listed as 2nd to 4th defendants respectively.
The defendants, however, pleaded not guilty to all the counts preferred against them by the anti-graft agency.
Following their not-guilty pleas, prosecution counsel Samuel Chime sought a trial date to enable the presentation of witnesses and evidence in the case.
However, counsel to the defendants, Gordy Uche SAN, informed the court of separate motions for bail filed on behalf of the defendants.
He said the motions, filed on 30 December 2025, had been served on the prosecution.
In acknowledging service of the bail applications, prosecution counsel said a joint counter-affidavit had been filed to oppose the requests.
When the judge asked if the facts in the motions were the same, Chime explained that all the facts were identical except the averment that the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th defendants had voluntarily honoured the EFCC’s invitation, while the 1st defendant (Adamu) was arrested.
Moving the motions, Uche said the applications, attached with four exhibits, sought an order admitting the defendants to bail pending trial.
He said after the prosecution served them with a counter-affidavit, a further affidavit was also filed.
Uche said in their reply on points of law to the counter-affidavit, there was nowhere in the proof of evidence that aligned with the conditions stated in Section 162 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA) 2015.
He said the prosecution’s proof of evidence did not specifically link his clients to the offence of terrorism financing as alleged.
The defence counsel urged the court to appreciate the circumstances and exercise its discretion in favour of the defendants.
“My lord, do not be carried away by the nature of the charge.
“I urge you to give it a liberal view and grant them bail on liberal terms,” he said.
He insisted that the continued detention of Adamu had affected about 60,000 Bauchi State workers who were yet to be paid their salaries.
Responding, prosecution counsel said a counter-affidavit was filed to oppose the applications for bail.
Chime prayed the court to refuse their bail applications, bearing in mind paragraphs 15 and 16 of the commission’s counter-affidavit.
In paragraph 15 of the counter-affidavit, the EFCC argued that it firmly opposed the grant of bail to the defendants having regard to the terrorism-related allegations, the money laundering counts, and the magnitude of the sums stated on the face of the charge.
“That the 1st defendant/applicant (Adamu) is also facing another pending criminal charge bordering on money laundering at the Federal High Court, Abuja in Charge No. FHC/ABJ/CR/694/2025.”
Justice Nwite, who adjourned the matter until 5 January 2026 for ruling, ordered that the defendants be remanded in Kuje Correctional Centre pending the decision.
In count one, Adamu, Sirajo Jaja (former Accountant-General of Bauchi State, now at large), Samaila Irmiya Liman (now at large), Balarabe Ilelah, Aminu Bose, and Kabiru Mohammed (all civil servants and signatories to Bauchi State Government accounts and/or payment instruments) were alleged to have committed the offence sometime between January 2024 and May 2024.
They were alleged to have conspired to provide funds in the aggregate sum of 2,300,000 United States dollars in cash for the benefit of Bello Bodejo and persons associated with him, pursuant to approvals granted by Governor Bala Mohammed of Bauchi State.
The said funds were alleged to be used, in whole or in part, to finance a terrorist or terrorist group.
The offence is contrary to Section 26(1) and punishable under Section 21(2)(a) of the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act 2022.
In count three, Adamu, Jaja (now at large), Liman (now at large), Ilelah, Bose, and Mohammed (all civil servants and signatories to Bauchi State Government accounts and/or payment instruments) were alleged to have committed the offence sometime between January 2024 and May 2024.
They were accused of involvement in an arrangement which resulted in the sum of about 500,000 United States dollars being delivered in cash to Bello Bodejo and persons associated with him for the purpose of terrorism and for the benefit of a proscribed terrorist group pursuant to approvals granted by Governor Bala Mohammed.
The offence is contrary to Section 21(3)(b) and punishable under Section 21(4)(a) of the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act 2022.
Count four accused the defendants, including Jaja and Liman (who are at large), of conspiring to disguise the origin of the 2,300,000 United States dollars, being Bauchi State Government funds routed through Bureau de Change operators and other nominees and converted to United States dollars, for the benefit of Bello Bodejo and persons associated with him.
It said this was pursuant to approvals granted by Governor Mohammed, having reasonable grounds to know that the said funds formed part of the proceeds of an unlawful act.
The offence is contrary to Section 21(a) and punishable under Section 18(3) of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act 2022.
In count eight, the defendants, including Jaja and Liman (who are at large), were alleged to have, sometime in 2024, conspired to disguise the origin of the sum of about 6,950,000 United States dollars for the benefit of Yakubu Adamu, the Finance Commissioner, being proceeds of unlawful activity routed from Bauchi State Government funds through Bureau de Change operators.
The offence is contrary to Section 21(a) and punishable under Section 18(3) of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act 2022, among other counts.
Alhaji Bello Bodejo is the President of Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore.
Adamu, the 1st defendant, alongside a firm, Ayab Agro Products and Freight Company Ltd, is also facing another money laundering charge involving N4.6 billion before Justice Nwite.
In the six-count charge, Adamu was alleged to have committed the offence while acting as Branch Manager of Polaris Bank Ltd, Bauchi, sometime between June 2023 and December 2023.
The defendants, alongside others, were alleged to have facilitated and agreed to the conversion, concealment, and use of funds in the sum of about N4,650,000,000 availed by Polaris Bank under the guise of financing the supply of motorcycles to Bauchi State Government through Emmanuel Asomugha General Enterprises.
However, they were accused of not supplying the motorcycles.
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