A Federal High Court in Abuja has ordered the Bauchi State Commissioner for Finance, Yakubu Adamu, and three other civil servants facing terrorism financing charges to report weekly to the Department of State Services (DSS) as part of their bail conditions.
Justice Mohammed Umar gave the order on Wednesday while granting the defendants bail in the sum of N100 million each, in an ongoing case filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
The court also directed that each defendant must provide two sureties, one of whom must be a permanent secretary and the other a director in the civil service. In addition, they were ordered to submit their international passports to the court registry.
Justice Umar said the defendants had presented sufficient materials to justify granting bail, adding that his decision was exercised judiciously. The matter was adjourned until February 26 for trial to begin.
The EFCC is prosecuting the four defendants on 10 counts relating to alleged terrorism financing and money laundering. Others standing trial alongside Adamu include Balarabe Ilelah, Aminu Bose and Kabiru Mohammed, all described as senior government officials in Bauchi State.
The defendants were first arraigned on December 31, 2025, but were initially denied bail by Justice Emeka Nwite, who held that the charges were too serious to warrant release at the time. They were subsequently remanded at the Kuje Correctional Centre.
However, after the case was reassigned, the defendants were brought before Justice Umar on January 16, where they pleaded not guilty. Their bail application was heard and ruling was delivered on Wednesday.
During arguments, defence counsel, Chief Chris Uche (SAN), urged the court to reconsider bail, insisting that new information had emerged since the earlier ruling. He also argued that one of the individuals mentioned in the charge had no standing conviction or formal terrorist designation, which he said weakened the prosecution’s claims.
The defence further maintained that there was no official government listing identifying the person or organisation in question as a terrorist entity, and cited provisions of the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act and the Administration of Criminal Justice Act to support the bail request.
The EFCC alleges that the defendants conspired between January and May 2024 to facilitate the movement of about $2.3 million in cash for individuals linked to terrorism financing. The funds were reportedly approved by the Bauchi State Government and are said to have been used to support activities associated with a terrorist group.
The commission filed the charges on December 30, 2025, and insists the case represents a serious threat to national security.
With the latest ruling, the defendants will now remain on bail under strict conditions, including weekly reporting to the DSS, as the court prepares to commence full trial later in February.
