By Correspondent in Abuja.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Wednesday arraigned the Bauchi State Commissioner for Finance, Yakubu Adamu, alongside three co-defendants over an alleged $9.7 million terrorism financing scheme.
Our correspondent reports that Adamu and the other defendants were docked on a 10-count charge before Justice Emeka Nwite of the Federal High Court, Abuja.
Those arraigned with Adamu are Balarabe Abdullahi Ilelah, Aminu Mohammed Bose, and Kabiru Yahaya Mohammed, listed as the 2nd to 4th defendants but all four pleaded not guilty to the charges.
Following their pleas, the EFCC counsel, Samuel Chime, requested a trial date to enable the prosecution present its witnesses and evidence. However, the defence counsel, Gordy Uche, SAN, informed the court that separate bail applications had been filed for the defendants on December 30 and duly served on the prosecution.
Chime confirmed receipt of the applications, adding that the EFCC had filed a joint counter-affidavit opposing the bail requests.
When Justice Nwite sought clarification on the similarities in the bail motions, Uche explained that while the facts were largely the same, the 2nd, 3rd and 4th defendants voluntarily honoured the EFCC’s invitation, unlike the 1st defendant who was arrested.
Justice Nwite thereafter directed the defence to move the bail applications.
Moving the motion, Uche said the applications, supported by four exhibits, sought the court’s discretion to admit the defendants to bail pending trial. He added that a further affidavit had been filed in response to the prosecution’s counter-affidavit.
The senior lawyer argued that the prosecution’s proof of evidence did not satisfy the conditions stipulated under Section 162 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA), 2015, nor did it specifically link his clients to terrorism financing.
“My lord, I urge the court not to be swayed by the nature of the charge but to take a liberal view and grant the defendants bail on liberal terms,” Uche pleaded.
He further submitted that the continued detention of Adamu had adversely affected about 600,000 Bauchi State workers, who were allegedly yet to receive their salaries.
Opposing the application, EFCC counsel urged the court to refuse bail, citing paragraphs 15 and 16 of the counter-affidavit. The anti-graft agency argued that the seriousness of the terrorism-related allegations, money laundering counts, and the magnitude of the sums involved justified the defendants’ continued detention.
Chime also informed the court that Adamu was facing another pending money laundering charge before the Federal High Court, Abuja, in Charge No: FHC/ABJ/CR/694/2025.
Justice Nwite adjourned the matter to January 5 for ruling and ordered that the defendants be remanded at the Kuje Correctional Centre, pending the court’s decision.
Edited by Dada Ahmed.
