The Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has granted bail to Bauchi State Commissioner for Finance, Yakubu Adamu, and his co-defendants, with a bail of N100 million, in the alleged transfer of $9.7 million for terrorism financing.
Justice Mohammed Umar, in a ruling, 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.
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 international passports with the court registry.
Justice Umar equally ordered Adamu and the three co-defendants to report to the Department of State Services (DSS) office in Bauchi State every Monday until the case is determined.
Although they were earlier denied bail before Justice Emeka Nwite, who was working as a vacation judge in December, the defendants were, however, re-arraigned before Justice Umar on January 16, and their bail application was moved after the case was reassigned to the new judge.
The defence lawyer, Chris Uche (SAN), informed the court in their latest bail application that, though a sister court earlier refused their bail plea, there were additional facts upon which the new application was brought.
Uche said the sister court would have granted their bail if the new facts were brought to its notice.
The lawyer argued that Bello Bodejo, the President of Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore, whom the EFCC named in the nine counts of the 10 counts filed against his clients, was never convicted for any terrorism offence by any competent court in the country, although he was charged and his group was not proscribed or gazetted.
Although Adamu, who is a former manager of a branch of Polaris Bank Plc in Bauchi State, was granted bail in a sister case of money laundering worth N4 billion but was refused bail on the 10-count charge terrorism financing brought against him on December 31, 2025, alongside Samaila Irmiya Liman (now at large); Balarabe Ilelah, Aminu Bose and Kabiru Mohammed, on the grounds that the offences threatened national security and public safety.
The case has been adjourned to February 26 for trial.
