The Federal High Court in Abuja has declined to grant bail to the Bauchi State Commissioner for Finance, Yakubu Adamu, and four other defendants standing trial over alleged terrorism financing and money laundering offences.
Justice Emeka Nwite delivered the ruling on Monday, ordering that Mr Adamu and his co-defendants remain in custody pending the continuation of their trial.
The defendants were arraigned by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission on 31 December 2025 on a 10-count charge bordering on terrorism financing and related money laundering offences.
According to the EFCC, the defendants allegedly authorised the release of Bauchi State Government funds, running into millions of dollars, to individuals said to be linked to a terrorist organisation between January and May 2024.
The prosecution further alleged that more than $6 million was released for Mr Adamu’s personal benefit as part of a broader money laundering scheme.
Other defendants named in the case include Balarabe Abdullahi Ilelah, Aminu Bose and Kabiru Yahaya Mohammed. All the accused persons pleaded not guilty to the charges.
Following their arraignment, defence counsel, Gordy Uche (SAN), urged the court to admit the defendants to bail on liberal terms.
However, EFCC counsel, Samuel Chime, opposed the application, arguing that the gravity of the allegations, the terrorism-related counts and the huge sums involved justified continued detention.
After hearing arguments from both sides, Justice Nwite adjourned ruling on the bail application until 5 January 2026 and ordered that the defendants be remanded in custody.
It was gathered that the court had, in a separate case on 2 January 2026, granted Mr Adamu bail in the sum of ₦500 million over another money laundering trial. In that matter, the EFCC charged him alongside Ayab Agro Products and Freight Company Ltd on six counts involving an alleged ₦4.65 billion.
The alleged offences in the separate case were said to have been committed while Mr Adamu served as a branch manager of Polaris Bank in Bauchi between June and December 2023.
With the denial of bail in the terrorism financing case, Mr Adamu is expected to remain in Kuje Correctional Centre as the trial proceeds.
