The presiding Judge of the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja, Justice Emeka Nwite, on Tuesday, issued an order remitting the case file of the Bauchi State Commissioner for Finance, Yakubu Adamu, who was accused of complicity in terrorism financing, back to the Chief Judge for reassignment.
New Telegraph reports that the development came almost two weeks after the court remanded the defendant to Kuje prison.
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The charges, filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), include conspiracy, conversion of public funds, and alleged terrorism financing, contrary to Sections 2(1), 19(1)(d), and 19(2)(b) of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.
According to the EFCC, the defendants conducted transactions totaling about $9.7 million outside of formal financial institutions.
Between January and May 2024, the commission alleged, Adamu, in collaboration with Bauchi State Accountant-General, Sirajo Jaja, Samaila Irmiya Liman, and the three other defendants, who were signatories to Bauchi State Government accounts, gave $2.3 million in cash to Bello Bodejo and his associates.
New Telegraph recalls that Bodejo, President of Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore, was previously arrested and charged with three counts of terrorism after forming a vigilante group in Karu Local Government Area, Nasarawa State.
He allegedly established an ethnic militia and provided material support and transportation for activities linked to terrorism, contrary to the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.
The earlier charges against him were withdrawn in May 2024 before arraignment.
In the current case, the EFCC claimed that the Bauchi State Governor, Senator Bala Mohammed, had approved the disbursement of funds, which the defendants allegedly knew could be used to finance terrorism.
Some alleged accomplices, including the Accountant-General, are currently at large.
During proceedings, the defendants pleaded not guilty and requested bail pending the trial. The court rejected this request on January 5.
At Tuesday’s resumed hearing, Justice Nwite granted an application by the defendants’ counsel, Mr Goddy Uche, SAN, seeking reassignment of the case, which had arisen during the court’s vacation period to another judge.
Some of the counts in the charge (FHC/ABJ/CR/705/2025, dated December 30, 2025) allege: “That you Yakubu Adamu (being Commissioner for Finance, Bauchi State Government), sometime in the year 2024, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, did receive cash payments in the sum of Six Million, Nine Hundred and Fifty Thousand United States Dollars (USD 6,950,000) otherwise than through a financial institution, and you committed an offence contrary to Section 2(1) and Section 19(1)(d) and punishable under Section 19(2)(b) of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.”
