|By Chinwendu Nwani
A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has ordered that the terrorism financing case involving Bauchi State Commissioner for Finance, Yakubu Adamu, be returned to the Chief Judge for reassignment.
The order was made on Tuesday by Justice Emeka Nwite shortly after the court resumed from its vacation.
Adamu, a former branch manager of Polaris Bank in Bauchi, is being prosecuted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission over alleged terrorism financing and money laundering involving about $9.7 million.
He is standing trial as the first defendant alongside three other Bauchi State civil servants—Balarabe Abdullahi Ilelah, Aminu Mohammed Bose, and Kabiru Yahaya Mohammed.
The defendants were arraigned on December 31, 2025, and pleaded not guilty to the charges. On January 5, Justice Nwite rejected their bail applications, ruling that the allegations posed a threat to national security and public safety. He subsequently ordered their remand at the Kuje Correctional Centre and fixed January 13 for the commencement of trial, with a directive for accelerated hearing.
However, when the matter was called again, no legal representative appeared in court for the prosecution.
Defence counsel, Chris Uche, SAN, told the court that the judge had earlier explained that the adjournment was necessitated by the court’s sitting as a vacation court. He added that the defendants were produced from custody and that defence lawyers were present in compliance with the court’s schedule.
Uche further disclosed that another senior lawyer, Adebayo Ojo, SAN, had informed him that he was newly engaged by the prosecution and that his junior counsel would attend the proceedings. When the court inquired about their presence, none responded.
Justice Nwite consequently noted that the matter was a vacation case and directed that the case file be returned to the court registry for reassignment by the Chief Judge.
According to the charge, the defendants allegedly conspired between January and May 2024 to provide about $2.3 million in cash to individuals linked to Bello Bodejo, based on approvals allegedly granted by Bauchi State Governor Bala Mohammed. The funds were alleged to have been used to finance a terrorist group.
