New Judge Grants Bail to Bauchi Commissioner and Co-Defendants in Terror Financing Case

The Federal High Court located in Abuja has overturned a previous ruling that denied bail to Yakubu Adamu, the Bauchi State Commissioner for Finance, along with his co-defendants concerning the terrorism financing charges initiated by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

Judge Mohammed Umar issued the bail on Wednesday, diverging from the earlier decision made by a different judge, Emeka Nwite, who had refused to grant bail earlier this month.

Judge Nwite, who briefly presided over the case during the court's Christmas/New Year vacation, previously dismissed the defendants' bail request on January 5, citing the severity of the charges and the potential social repercussions of granting their release while they faced terrorism-related allegations.

After stepping down from the case on January 14, Judge Nwite returned the case file to the Chief Judge for reassignment as the court resumed from vacation.

The matter was reassigned to Judge Usman, who evaluated the renewed bail application and subsequently granted it on Wednesday. The bail was set at 100 million Naira for each defendant.

In his ruling, Judge Umar emphasized that the court's role at this point was not to assess the validity of the charges against the defendants, but rather to determine if there was sufficient ground to warrant a criminal charge.

He explained that the primary purpose of bail is not to liberate a defendant to perpetuate any wrongdoing during the judicial process but functions as a transitory measure that exists only for the length of the trial.

After reviewing the evidence submitted by the defendants along with the prosecution's counter-affidavits, he concluded that "the application hereby succeeds."

Consequently, the court approved bail for Mr. Adamu and his three co- defendants, each required to provide two sureties. One of the sureties must hold a position as a serving permanent secretary, while the other must be a serving director within the civil service.

Moreover, the court mandated the defendants to surrender their international passports and report weekly to the State Security Service (SSS) in Bauchi State for surveillance until the trial concludes.

The EFCC had arraigned Mr. Adamu and three other officials in front of the Federal High Court in Abuja on December 31, 2025, on ten counts related to terrorism financing and other money laundering activities. Accusations included authorizing the disbursement of millions of dollars from Bauchi State's government funds to various individuals, including Bello Bodejo, a leader of the Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore.

It was alleged that these funds were partly utilized to support terrorist organizations or activities, an assertion that the defendants have denied. An earlier report from PREMIUM TIMES provided exclusive insights into the allegations, detailing the involvement of various individuals and the financial transactions at the core of these accusations.

The commission asserted that the alleged actions violated provisions within the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act.

Initially managed by Judge Nwite, the case was reassigned to Judge Umar following the vacation, where the defendants were rearraigned, and their legal representatives resubmitted their bail application, which was successfully granted on Wednesday.