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 in Abuja over alleged money laundering and terrorism financing.
The defendants were docked on a ten-count charge bordering on conspiracy, conversion of public funds, and alleged terrorism financing, contrary to Sections 2(1) and 19(1)(d) of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022, as well as relevant provisions of the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.
Leading the prosecution, Samuel Chime informed the court that the matter was slated for arraignment and requested that the charges be read to the defendants. He stated that the ten-count charge was dated and filed on December 30, 2025.
One of the charges alleged that Yakubu Adamu, while serving as Commissioner for Finance in 2024, received $6.95 million in cash outside the banking system, an act said to contravene the provisions of the Money Laundering Act.
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Another count accused Adamu, alongside Balarabe Abdullahi Ilelah, Aminu Mohammed Bose, Kabiru Yahaya Mohammed, and two other officials, Sirajo Jaja, the Bauchi State Accountant-General, and Samaila Irmiya Liman, both currently at large—of conspiring between January and May 2024 to provide about $2.3 million in cash to Bello Bodejo and his associates.
According to the charge, the funds were allegedly released following approvals by the Governor of Bauchi State, Senator Bala Abdulkadir Mohammed, with reasonable grounds to believe that the money would be used, wholly or in part, to finance a terrorist or terrorist group.
When the charges were read, all four defendants pleaded not guilty, prompting the prosecution to request a trial date to open its case.
Counsel to the defendants informed the court that separate bail applications had been filed for each defendant on December 30, 2025, while the prosecution confirmed it had filed a joint counter-affidavit opposing the bail requests.
Justice Emeka Nwite subsequently adjourned the matter to January 5, 2026, for ruling on the bail applications and ordered that the defendants be remanded at the Kuje Correctional Centre pending further proceedings.
