A Federal High Court in Abuja has directed that the case involving Bauchi State’s Commissioner for Finance, Yakubu Adamu, be returned to the Chief Judge for reassignment.

Justice Emeka Nwite made the order on Tuesday after the court resumed from its vacation.

The case, filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), concerns alleged terrorism financing and money laundering involving about $9.7 million.

Adamu, a former branch manager of Polaris Bank in Bauchi, is the lead defendant in the trial, which also involves three other Bauchi State civil servants: Balarabe Abdullahi Ilelah, Aminu Mohammed Bose, and Kabiru Yahaya Mohammed.

The four defendants were arraigned on December 31, 2025, and all pleaded not guilty.

On January 5, Justice Nwite denied their bail applications, citing the charges as a threat to national security and public safety, and ordered that they be remanded at Kuje Correctional Centre with accelerated trial proceedings scheduled to commence on January 13.

When the case came up again on Tuesday, no lawyer appeared for the EFCC. Defence counsel Chris Uche, SAN, noted that the prosecution had engaged a new senior lawyer, Adebayo Ojo, SAN, whose team did not appear in court.

Justice Nwite observed the absence of prosecution representation and noted that the matter was a vacation case. He subsequently ordered that the case file be returned to the court registry for reassignment by the Chief Judge.

According to the charge, the defendants allegedly conspired between January and May 2024 to provide about $2.3 million in cash to individuals linked to Bello Bodejo, using approvals allegedly granted by Bauchi State Governor Bala Mohammed.

The funds were purportedly intended to finance a terrorist group, prompting the EFCC’s prosecution and the court’s emphasis on national security concerns.