Alleged $9.7m terrorism financing: Choose returns Bauchi commissioner’s case to CJ

Justice Emeka Nwite of a Federal Excessive Courtroom sitting in Abuja, on Tuesday, made an order remitting the case file of the Bauchi State Commissioner of Finance, Yakubu Adamu, again to the Chief Choose of the courtroom for reassignment.

The Commissioner is standing trial together with others over complicity in terrorism financing.

Adamu, who’s a former supervisor of a department of Polaris Bank Plc in Bauchi State, was on December 31, 2025, arraigned on a 10-count cost, alongside three of his alleged accomplices, who have been recognized as civil servants, Balarabe Abdullahi Ilelah, Aminu Mohammed Bose, and Kabiru Yahaya Mohammed.

The ten-count cost most well-liked towards the Commissioner and his co-defendants by the Financial and Monetary Crimes Fee (EFCC) bordered on conspiracy, conversion of public funds, and alleged terrorism financing, opposite to Part 2(1) and Part 19(1) (d) and punishable underneath Part 19(2)(b) of the Cash Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.

In accordance with the anti-graft company, the defendants, with out recourse to any monetary establishment, undertook transactions valued at about $9.7 million.

In accordance with the EFCC, someday between January 2024 and Could 2024, the Bauchi State Commissioner for Finance, Adamu, working in cahoots with the Accountant-Common of the state, Sirajo Jaja, one Samaila Irmiya Liman, and the opposite three defendants—who have been signatories to the Bauchi State Authorities accounts—gave $2.3 million in money to the President of Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore, Bello Bodejo and individuals related to him.

The prosecution instructed the courtroom that the money was handed to Bodejo by the defendants, despite the fact that they’d cheap grounds to consider that the stated funds could be used, in entire or partially, to finance a terrorist or terrorist group.

The EFCC additional instructed the courtroom that a few of these concerned within the crime, together with the Bauchi State Accountant-Common, Jaja, are at the moment on the run.

The defendants, who pleaded not responsible to the cost that was learn to them within the open courtroom, prayed the courtroom to confess them to bail, pending the listening to and dedication of the allegation towards them.

The courtroom, in a ruling delivered on January 5, rejected their request for bail on the grounds that the offences with which the defendants are being charged threatened nationwide safety and public security.

Justice Nwite additional held that terrorism associated offences threatened social order and pre-trial launch may endanger the general public, therefore, such bail can’t be granted.

Throughout Tuesday’s proceedings, Justice Nwite granted an software filed by the defendants’ counsel, Mr Goddy Uche, SAN, in search of reassignment of the matter—which had come up in the course of the courtroom’s trip interval—to a different choose for listening to.

Within the cost marked: FHC/ABJ/CR/705/2025, dated December 30, 2025, Adamu was alleged to have, generally within the yr 2024, acquired money funds within the sum of USD 6,950,000 with out passing by means of a monetary establishment, in violation to Part 2(1) and Part 19(1) (d) and punishable underneath Part 19(2)(b) of the Cash Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.

“That you just Yakubu Adamu(being Commissioner for Finance, Bauchi State Authorities) Sirajo Jaja (being Accountant-Common of Bauchi state now at massive), Samaila Irmiya Liman(now at massive), Balarabe Abdullahi Illelah, Aminu Mohammed Bose and Kabiru Yahaya Mohammed (all being civil servants and signatories to Bauchi State Authorities Accounts and/or cost devices), generally between January 2024 and Could 2024, inside the jurisdiction of this Honourable Courtroom, did conspire to offer funds within the mixture sum of about USD 2,300,000 in money for the advantage of Bello Bodejo and individuals related to him, pursuant to approvals granted by the chief Governor of Bauchi State, Senator Bala Abdulkadir Muhammed, having cheap grounds to consider, that the stated funds could be used, in entire or partially to finance a terrorist or terrorist group, and also you thereby dedicated an offence opposite to Part 26(1) and punishable underneath Part 21(2)(a) of the terrorism(Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.”