Court grants Bauchi Finance Commissioner, three others bail in alleged terrorism financing case

The Federal High Court in Abuja on Wednesday granted bail to the Bauchi State Commissioner for Finance, Yakubu Adamu, and three other defendants standing trial over alleged terrorism financing and money laundering offences involving about N400 million.

Justice Mohammed Umar, who delivered the ruling, ordered each of the four defendants to deposit N100 million and provide two sureties in like sum.

The court ruled that one surety must be a serving permanent secretary, while the second must be a serving director in the civil service.

Justice Umar further ordered the defendants to surrender their international passports, barred them from travelling outside the country without court approval, and directed them to report weekly to the Bauchi office of the Department of State Services (DSS) every Monday.

The case was adjourned to March 26 for hearing.

The defendants were earlier denied bail after their arraignment on December 31, 2025, on a ten-count charge bordering on conspiracy, conversion of public funds and terrorism financing.

Those charged alongside Adamu— a former Polaris Bank branch manager — are Balarabe Abdullahi Ilelah, Aminu Mohammed Bose, and Kabiru Yahaya Mohammed, all civil servants.

In a ruling delivered on June 5, Justice Emeka Nwite had rejected their bail application, citing the gravity of the allegations and the threat they allegedly posed to national security.

He held that the offences were capable of undermining public safety and social order, and that granting bail at that stage could endanger the public.

However, in his ruling on Wednesday, Justice Umar, to whom the case file was reassigned, held that the prosecution failed to present concrete evidence to support claims that the defendants posed a flight risk.

He ruled that the defendants were entitled to bail pending the determination of the charges.

The Federal Government alleged that the defendants carried out cash transactions valued at about $9.7 million without routing the funds through any financial institution, contrary to the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.

According to the prosecution, between January and May 2024, Adamu, in collaboration with the Bauchi State Accountant-General, Sirajo Jaja, one Samaila Irmiya Liman, and the other defendants — all signatories to Bauchi State Government accounts — allegedly handed $2.3 million in cash to Bello Bodejo, President of Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore, and persons linked to him.

Bodejo had previously been arrested and charged by the Federal Government on allegations of terrorism following the unveiling of a vigilante group in Nasarawa State, though the charge was later withdrawn in May 2024.

The prosecution told the court that the defendants allegedly released the funds despite having reasonable grounds to believe that the money would be used, wholly or partly, to finance terrorist activities.

It further alleged that some suspects connected to the case, including the Bauchi State Accountant-General, are currently on the run, and that the transactions were carried out with the approval of the Bauchi State Governor, Senator Bala Mohammed.

The defendants pleaded not guilty to all charges and urged the court to grant them bail.

One of the counts read that Adamu allegedly received $6.95 million in cash outside the banking system, an offence punishable under the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.