EFCC arraigns Bauchi commissioner of finance, others for alleged $9.7m terrorism financing
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Wednesday, arraigned Bauchi State Commissioner for Finance, Yakubu Adamu, along with Balarabe Abdullahi Ilelah, Aminu Mohammed Bose, and Kabiru Yahaya Mohammed before Justice Emeka Nwite of the Federal High Court, Abuja.
The four defendants face a ten-count charge bordering on conspiracy, conversion of public funds, and alleged 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.
Prosecution counsel Samuel Chime told the court that the matter was for arraignment and requested that the charges be read to the defendants. “We have a ten-count charge dated December 30, 2025, and filed on the same day,” he said.
One of the counts alleges that Yakubu Adamu, as Commissioner for Finance, received cash payments totaling $6,950,000 outside a financial institution, contrary to the Money Laundering Act. Another count accuses Adamu, along with other civil servants and signatories to Bauchi State Government accounts, of conspiring to provide $2,300,000 in cash for the benefit of Bello Bodejo and associates, with reasonable grounds to believe the funds would be used to finance a terrorist group.
The alleged transactions reportedly occurred between January and May 2024 and were approved by the Executive Governor of Bauchi State, Senator Bala Abdulkadir Mohammed.
The defendants pleaded “not guilty” when the charges were read to them, prompting Chime to request a trial date. “We will be asking for a date to enable us to open our case,” he said.
Defence counsel, however, informed the court that separate bail applications had been filed for each defendant on December 30, 2025. Chime confirmed that the prosecution had been served and had filed a joint counter-affidavit.
Justice Nwite adjourned the matter to January 5, 2026, for ruling on the bail applications, while ordering that the defendants be remanded at the Kuje Correctional Centre.
