A Federal High Court in Abuja has returned the alleged $9.7 million terrorism financing case involving the Bauchi State Commissioner for Finance, Yakubu Adamu, to the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court for reassignment to a substantive trial judge.
Justice Emeka Nwite, on Tuesday, ordered that the case file be forwarded to the Chief Judge, Justice John Tsoho, explaining that the matter was handled during the court’s vacation and must now be reassigned in line with court procedure.
Justice Nwite held that since the case was a vacation matter, it could not proceed further before him and required reassignment to a substantive judge for trial.
“This is a vacation matter which was returned to the registrar after the vacation for onward transmission to the Chief Judge for reassigning the case substantively,” the judge said.
Yakubu Adamu is standing trial alongside Balarabe Abdullahi Ilelah, Aminu Mohammed Bose, and Kabiru Yahaya Mohammed on a 10-count charge filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), bordering on alleged terrorism financing and money laundering.
The defendants were arraigned on Wednesday, December 31, 2025, on charges said to be 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.
One of the counts alleged that Adamu, while serving as Commissioner for Finance of the Bauchi State Government, received $6.95 million in cash in 2024, outside the banking system, an act the prosecution described as unlawful under the relevant money laundering laws.
All the defendants pleaded not guilty to the charges.
Earlier, on Monday, January 5, 2026, the court dismissed their bail applications and ordered their remand at the Kuje Correctional Centre pending the commencement of trial.
At the resumed proceedings, counsel to the defendants, Chief Chris Uche, SAN, informed the court of the defence’s readiness to proceed with trial, while the EFCC announced Adebayo Ojo as its new prosecuting counsel in the matter.
