Francis Wilfred
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Tuesday, December 30, 2025, arraigned 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.The defendants face a ten-count charge involving conspiracy, conversion of public funds, and alleged terrorism financing, in violation of Sections 2(1) and 19(1)(d) of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022, punishable under Section 19(2)(b).Prosecution counsel, Samuel Chime, informed 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 and filed on 30 December 2025,” he said.
One of the counts alleges that Yakubu Adamu, as Bauchi State Commissioner for Finance, received USD 6,950,000 in cash in 2024 outside financial institutions, contrary to the Money Laundering Act. Another count alleges that the four defendants conspired between January and May 2024 to provide USD 2,300,000 in cash to Bello Bodejo and associates, with knowledge that the funds could be used to finance terrorism. The transactions were allegedly approved by Bauchi State Governor Senator Bala Abdulkadir Muhammed.
All four defendants pleaded not guilty when the charges were read. Prosecution counsel, Samuel Chime, subsequently requested a trial date to open the government’s case.The defendants’ lawyers confirmed that separate motions for bail had been filed on behalf of each accused on December 30, 2025. Chime responded that the prosecution had been served and had filed a joint counter-affidavit in opposition to the bail applications.
Justice Nwite adjourned the case for ruling on the bail applications to 5 January 2026 and ordered that the defendants be remanded at Kuje Correctional Centre pending the outcome.The EFCC stated that the case underscores the agency’s commitment to combating financial crimes, public fund mismanagement, and terrorism financing in Nigeria.
