EFCC Charges Bauchi Finance Commissioner, Three Others Over Terrorism Financing

According to Ireporter Online, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has arraigned Bauchi State Commissioner for Finance, Yakubu Adamu, alongside Balarabe Abdullahi Ilelah, Aminu Mohammed Bose, and Kabiru Yahaya Mohammed before Justice Emeka Nwite of the Federal High Court, Abuja.

The defendants face a ten-count charge involving conspiracy, conversion of public funds, and alleged terrorism financing, contrary to Sections 2(1) and 19(1)(d) of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022, and punishable under Section 19(2)(b) of the same law.

Prosecution counsel Samuel Chime informed the court that the case was at the arraignment stage and requested that the charges be read to the defendants. One of the counts alleges that Yakubu Adamu received USD 6,950,000 in cash outside a financial institution, violating the provisions of the Money Laundering Act. Another count accuses the defendants of conspiring to provide approximately USD 2,300,000 in cash to benefit Bello Bodejo and associates, with reasonable grounds to believe that the funds would be used to finance terrorism.

The defendants pleaded not guilty to all charges. Following the arraignment, the prosecution requested a trial date to begin presenting its case, while defense counsel confirmed that separate bail applications had been filed for each defendant. The court acknowledged that the prosecution had filed a joint counter-affidavit and adjourned proceedings to January 5, 2026, for ruling on the bail applications. The defendants were remanded at Kuje Correctional Centre pending the outcome.