Justice Mohammed Umar of the Federal High Court Abuja, has granted the Bauchi State Commissioner for Finance, Yakubu Adamu, and his co-defendants a ₦100 million bail each in the alleged $9.7 million terrorism financing offences.
In a ruling, Justice Umar held that Adamu and his co-defendants had placed sufficient materials before the court for the court to exercise its discretion in their favour judicially and judiciously, reports Channels TV.
Justice Umar, who granted the bail applications, directed the defendants to produce two sureties each who must be a permanent secretary and a director in the civil service.
The judge ordered the defendants to deposit their passports with the court registry.
Justice Umar equally ordered Adamu and the three co-defendants to be reporting to the Department of State Services (DSS)’ office in Bauchi State every Monday until the case is determined.
He subsequently adjourned the matter to Feb. 26 for commencement of trial.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) had preferred a 10-count terrorism financing and money laundering charge against Adamu and three others.
The others are Balarabe Ilelah, Aminu Bose and Kabiru Mohammed.
They are said to be top Bauchi State civil servants.
Although they were earlier denied bail before Justice Emeka Nwite, who worked as vacation judge in December, the defendants were however, re-arraigned before Justice Umar on Jan. 16 and their bail application moved after the case was re-assigned to the new judge.
Justice Umar then adjourned the matter to Jan. 21 for ruling on their bail application following their plea of not guilty.
In their latest bail application, the defendants, through their lawyer, Chris Uche, (SAN), informed the court, that though a sister court earlier refused their bail plea, there were new and additional facts upon which the instant application was brought.
Uche said the sister court would have granted their bail if the new facts were brought to its notice.
Their counsel argued that Bello Bodejo, the President of Miyettti Allah Kautal Hore, was never convicted for any terrorism offence by any competent court in the country.
He argued that though Bodejo was charged by the federal government for terrorism-related offences, the charge was later withdrawn by the government and the court dismissed it on May, 29, 2024.
Besides, Uche argued that there was no proscription order in the federal government’s Official Gazette designating either Bodejo or his organisation as a terrorist or terrorist organisation, backing his argument with Section 48(1) of Terrorism Prevention Act, 2022.
According to him, since Bello Bodejo has not been shown by the prosecution as a terrorist, there is no basis for the defendants to continue to languish in detention, hence the need for the bail application.
He further argued that the court is empowered by law to grant bail, citing relevant sections of Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA), 2015, to back his submission.
Adamu, who was a former manager of a branch of a commercial Bank in Bauchi State, and others were earlier arraigned on Dec. 31, 2025, and pleaded not guilty to the counts read to them before Justice Nwite.
The judge, on Jan. 5, declined to grant their bail application on the grounds that the offences with which they are charged with, threatens national security and public safety.
Justice Nwite, who ordered that the defendants be remanded in Kuje Correctional Centre until the determination of the case, fixed Jan. 13 for commencement of trial.
However, on Jan. 13, Justice Nwite returned the case file back to the chief judge (CJ) for reassignment after the vacation had ended.
