Emeka Nwite, judge of a federal high court in Abuja, has returned the case file of Yakubu Adamu, Bauchi state commissioner for finance, to the chief judge for reassignment.
Nwite, who was the vacation judge during the yuletide, made
the order on Tuesday following the resumption of court activities after the
vacation.
Adamu, a former branch manager at Polaris Bank in Bauchi, is
being prosecuted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on a
10-count charge bordering on terrorism financing and money laundering.
He is standing trial alongside three others, Balarabe
Abdullahi Ilelah, Aminu Mohammed Bose and Kabiru Yahaya Mohammed.
They were arraigned on December 31, 2025, and pleaded not
guilty to all charges.
On January 5, Nwite refused their bail applications, ruling
that the offences alleged posed a threat to national security and public
safety.
He ordered that the defendants be remanded at the Kuje
Correctional Centre and fixed January 13, 2026, for the commencement of trial,
with a directive for an accelerated hearing.
However, when the case was called on Monday after the court
resumed, no lawyer appeared for the prosecution.
Chris Uche, who appeared for the defendants, told the court
that he met Adebayo Ojo, a senior advocate of Nigeria (SAN), in another
courtroom, who informed him that he had been engaged as new counsel for the
EFCC and that his junior lawyers would handle the matter.
When the court asked if any of the junior counsel was
present, there was no response.
Nwite, after noting that the case had been treated as a
vacation matter, ordered that the file be returned to the registry for
reassignment by the chief judge of the federal high court.
According to the EFCC, the defendants allegedly conspired to
provide about $2.3 million in cash for the benefit of Bello Bodejo, president
of Miyetti Allah, and persons associated with him, pursuant to approvals
allegedly granted by Bala Mohammed, governor of Bauchi.
The commission said the funds were allegedly used, in whole
or in part, to finance a terrorist group, contrary to the Terrorism (Prevention
and Prohibition) Act, 2022.
The EFCC also alleged that the defendants disguised the
origin of Bauchi state government funds by routing them through bureau de
change operators and nominees before converting the funds to US dollars for
unlawful purposes.
Separately, Adamu is standing trial alongside Ayab Agro
Products and Freight Company Ltd over an alleged N4.6 billion money laundering
case, which the EFCC said relates to transactions carried out while he served
as a branch manager of Polaris Bank in Bauchi.
In that charge, he was granted bail in the sum of N500
million.
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