By RismadarVoice Media
December 31, 2025
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Wednesday, December 31, 2025, arraigned the Bauchi State Commissioner for Finance, Yakubu Adamu, alongside Balarabe Abdullahi Ilelah, Aminu Mohammed Bose, and Kabiru Yahaya Mohammed, before Justice Emeka Nwite of the Federal High Court, Abuja, over alleged terrorism financing and money laundering amounting to $9.7 million.
The defendants were arraigned on a 10-count charge bordering on conspiracy, conversion of public funds, money laundering, terrorism financing, contrary to Sections 2(1) and 19(1)(d) and punishable under Section 19(2)(b) of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022, as well as relevant provisions of the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.
Prosecution counsel, Samuel Chime, informed the court that the matter was for arraignment, requested that the charges, dated December 30, 2025, be read to the defendants.
One of the charges alleges that Yakubu Adamu, while serving as Commissioner for Finance in 2024, received $6.95 million in cash outside the banking system, an act the EFCC said violated extant money laundering laws.
Another count alleges that Adamu conspired with Sirajo Jaja (Accountant-General of Bauchi State, now at large), Samaila Irmiya Liman (now at large), and the other defendants described as civil servants and signatories to Bauchi State government accounts to provide $2.3 million in cash between January and May 2024 to Bello Bodejo and persons associated with him.
According to the EFCC, the funds were allegedly released following approvals granted by the Executive Governor of Bauchi State, Senator Bala Abdulkadir Mohammed, with reasonable grounds to believe that the money would be used, wholly or partly, to finance a terrorist or terrorist group.
All four defendants pleaded not guilty to the charges.
Following their pleas, the prosecution requested a trial date to open its case. Defence counsel informed the court that separate bail applications had been filed on behalf of each defendant on December 30, 2025.
In response, Chime confirmed that the prosecution had been served with the bail applications and had filed a joint counter-affidavit opposing them.
Justice Emeka Nwite adjourned the case to January 5, 2026, for ruling on the bail applications, ordered that the defendants be remanded at the Kuje Correctional Centre pending the determination of their bail.
