A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has returned the case involving the Bauchi State Commissioner for Finance, Yakubu Adamu, to the Chief Judge of the court for reassignment.
Justice Emeka Nwite took the decision on Tuesday, January 13, 2026, shortly after the court resumed from its annual vacation. The judge explained that the matter was earlier handled during the vacation period and should now be reassigned through the appropriate process.
Adamu is facing trial alongside three other Bauchi State civil servants over alleged terrorism financing and money laundering. The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission filed a 10-count charge against the defendants, accusing them of serious financial crimes linked to national security concerns.
The defendants were first arraigned on Tuesday, December 31, 2025, where they pleaded not guilty to all charges. On Monday, January 5, 2026, Justice Nwite rejected their bail applications, stating that the alleged offences posed a threat to public safety and national security. He ordered that they be kept at the Kuje Correctional Centre and fixed Tuesday, January 13, 2026, for the start of trial with instructions for accelerated hearing.
When the case was called on Tuesday, however, there was no legal representative in court for the prosecution. Counsel to the defendants, Chris Uche, SAN, told the court that both the defendants and their lawyers were present in line with the court’s earlier directive.
He added that he had earlier met Adebayo Ojo, SAN, in another courtroom, who informed him that he had been appointed as new counsel for the EFCC and that his junior lawyers would attend the proceedings. When the judge asked if any of the junior lawyers were present, none responded.
Following this development, Justice Nwite ordered that the case file be returned to the court registry so that the Chief Judge could reassign it to another judge.
Adamu, a former branch manager of Polaris Bank in Bauchi State, is listed as the first defendant. The other defendants are Balarabe Abdullahi Ilelah, Aminu Mohammed Bose, and Kabiru Yahaya Mohammed.
According to the charge marked FHC/ABJ/CR/705/2025 and filed on Monday, December 30, 2025, the EFCC alleged that Adamu and others conspired between January and May 2024 to provide cash funds totaling $2.3 million. The money was allegedly meant for Bello Bodejo and persons linked to him, following approvals said to have been granted by Bauchi State Governor, Bala Mohammed.
The anti-graft agency claimed that the funds were used wholly or in part to support a terrorist group. The alleged offence is said to be contrary to Section 26(1) and punishable under Section 21(2)(a) of the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.
The case is expected to continue once a new judge is assigned by the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court.