Court Denies Bail to Bauchi Finance Commissioner, Others Over $9.7m Terrorism Financing Charges

Court Denies Bail to Bauchi Finance Commissioner, Others Over $9.7m Terrorism Financing Charges

The Federal High Court, Abuja, on Monday refused to grant bail to Yakubu Adamu, Commissioner of Finance, Bauchi State, and his co-defendants over alleged $9.7 million terrorism financing charges, citing grave threats to national security and public safety.

Delivering the ruling, Justice Emeka Nwite held that offences bordering on terrorism financing undermine social order and that granting bail could endanger the public. The judge, however, ordered an accelerated hearing of the case.

Justice Nwite noted that while Section 36(5) of the Constitution presumes an accused person innocent until proven guilty, the provision is not absolute in bail considerations. He stressed that courts must weigh the nature of the offence, the evidence presented, and the severity of punishment, relying on established judicial precedent.

“I have carefully considered the affidavit evidence, the proof of evidence, including statements of prosecution witnesses, and the grave threat this case poses to national security and public safety,” the judge said, adding that the prosecution raised a reasonable presumption of criminal responsibility against the defendants.

Consequently, the bail application was refused, and the matter was adjourned to January 13 for the commencement of trial.

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The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Adamu and his co-defendants were remanded at the Kuje Correctional Centre following their arraignment on December 31, 2025, on a 10-count charge filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

Adamu was arraigned alongside Balarabe Abdullahi Ilelah, Aminu Mohammed Bose, and Kabiru Yahaya Mohammed, all Bauchi State civil servants, who pleaded not guilty to the charges.

According to the EFCC, the defendants allegedly conspired between January and May 2024 to provide funds totaling $2.3 million and an additional $500,000 to Bello Bodejo, President of Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore, and associates, purportedly for the benefit of a proscribed terrorist group, pursuant to approvals allegedly granted by Governor Bala Mohammed of Bauchi State.

The offences are said to contravene provisions of the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022, and the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.

Separately, Adamu is also standing trial in another matter involving alleged ₦4.6 billion money laundering, in which he was granted ₦500 million bail on Friday by the same court.

Court Denies Bail to Bauchi Finance Commissioner, Others Over $9.7m Terrorism Financing Charges