Court grants Bauchi finance commissioner, others N100m  bail in $9.7m terror financing case

The Federal High Court in Abuja on Wednesday granted bail of N100 million each to Yakubu Adamu, Bauchi State Commissioner for Finance and three co-defendants over alleged terrorism financing amounting to $9.7 million.

In his ruling, Justice Mohammed Umar held that the defendants had placed sufficient material before the court to warrant the exercise of its discretion in their favour, judicially and judiciously.

The judge ordered each defendant to provide two sureties, who must be a permanent secretary and a director in the civil service.

He also directed them to deposit their international passports with the court registry.

Justice Umar further ordered Adamu and the three other defendants to report weekly to the Department of State Services (DSS) office in Bauchi State every Monday until the determination of the case.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) had filed a 10-count charge bordering on terrorism financing and money laundering against Adamu and three others Balarabe Abdullahi Ilelah, Aminu Mohammed Bose and Kabiru Yahaya Mohammed described as senior civil servants in Bauchi State.

The defendants were initially denied bail in December by Justice Emeka Nwite, who sat as a vacation judge.

However, following the reassignment of the case, they were re-arraigned before Justice Umar on January 16, when their bail application was argued.

The court subsequently reserved ruling until January 21 after the defendants entered not-guilty pleas.

Arguing the bail application, Chief Chris Uche, SAN, defence counsel, told the court that although a sister court had earlier refused bail, the fresh application was based on new and additional facts.

He said the earlier court would likely have reached a different conclusion if those facts had been presented.

Uche contended that Bello Bodejo, President of Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore named in nine of the 10 counts filed by the EFCC had never been convicted of any terrorism-related offence by a competent court.

He noted that although Bodejo was previously charged by the Federal Government, the charge was withdrawn and dismissed on May 29, 2024.

The defence further argued that there was no proscription order in the Federal Government’s Official Gazette designating Bodejo or his organisation as a terrorist entity, citing Section 48(1) of the Terrorism (Prevention) Act, 2022.

On that basis, Uche submitted that there was no justification for the continued detention of the defendants.

He also cited provisions of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA), 2015, which empower the court to grant bail.

Adamu, a former branch manager of Polaris Bank Plc in Bauchi State, and his co-defendants were first arraigned on December 31, 2025, before Justice Nwite, who on January 5 declined their bail application, citing threats to national security and public safety.

The defendants were remanded at the Kuje Correctional Centre pending trial.

Justice Nwite returned the case file to the Chief Judge on January 13 for reassignment after the court vacation.

The EFCC alleges that Adamu and five others conspired between January and May 2024 to provide $2.3 million in cash to Bello Bodejo and his associates, allegedly to finance a terrorist group, an offence punishable under the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act.

The matter was adjourned to February 26 for the commencement of trial.