Yakubu Adamu bail refusal as a Federal High Court denies bail to the Bauchi commissioner over alleged $9.7m terrorism financing
The Federal High Court in Abuja on Monday refused a bail application filed by the Bauchi State Commissioner for Finance, Yakubu Adamu, and three co-defendants over alleged terrorism financing amounting to $9.7 million.
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Justice Emeka Nwite held that the offences alleged against Yakubu Adamu and the other defendants posed a grave threat to national security and public safety, ruling that granting bail before trial could endanger society.
The court, however, ordered an accelerated hearing of the case, stressing that while the Constitution presumes an accused person innocent, that right is not absolute in bail considerations.
Justice Nwite said terrorism-related offences undermine social order and require a careful balance between individual liberty and public interest.
“I am not unmindful of the constitutional provision of Section 36(5) which presumes an accused person innocent until proven guilty,” the judge said.
“But that provision is not absolutely right. In considering bail, all relevant factors must be weighed.”
Relying on the Supreme Court’s decision in Bamaiyi v. The State (2001), Justice Nwite noted that courts are entitled to consider the nature of the offence, the strength of the evidence, and the severity of punishment upon conviction.
The judge said the court had reviewed affidavit evidence, proof of evidence, and witness statements, including that of Dan Lawan Abdulmumuni, before reaching its decision.
“I have taken cognisance of the grave threat to national security and public safety this case poses,” Justice Nwite said, adding that pre-trial release could interfere with justice or public safety.
He ruled that the prosecution had raised a reasonable presumption of criminal responsibility against the defendants and that justice would be best served through an expedited trial.
Consequently, the Yakubu Adamu bail refusal was upheld, and the application was dismissed.
The case was adjourned to January 13 for the commencement of trial.
Yakubu Adamu and his co-defendants — Balarabe Abdullahi Ilelah, Aminu Mohammed Bose, and Kabiru Yahaya Mohammed — were remanded at the Kuje Correctional Centre after their arraignment on December 31, 2025, on a 10-count charge filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.
The defendants pleaded not guilty to all counts.
According to the prosecution, Adamu and others allegedly conspired between January and May 2024 to provide $2.3 million in cash for the benefit of Bello Bodejo and associates, following approvals allegedly granted by Bauchi State Governor Bala Mohammed.
Two other suspects, Sirajo Jaja, a former Accountant-General of Bauchi State, and Samaila Irmiya Liman, were named in the charge but are currently at large.
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Meanwhile, in a separate case, the court last Friday granted Adamu bail in the sum of ₦500 million over money-laundering allegations, with strict conditions including verified property ownership by the sureties in designated Abuja districts.
