The Federal High Court in Abuja has ordered the remand of the Bauchi State Commissioner for Finance, Yakubu Adamu, at the Kuje Correctional Centre over alleged money laundering.
Justice Emeka Nwite gave the order on Tuesday after Adamu was arraigned alongside a company, Ayab Agro Products and Freight Company Ltd, on a six-count charge filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.
The judge ordered Adamu’s remand pending a ruling on his bail application and adjourned the matter until January 2, 2026.
The EFCC accused Adamu and the company of laundering N4.6bn. The charge, marked FHC/ABJ/CR/694/2025, was dated and filed on December 19, 2025.
Adamu and Ayab Agro Products were listed as the first and second defendants in the case.
According to the EFCC, Adamu allegedly committed the offences while serving as Branch Manager of Polaris Bank Limited in Bauchi.
In one of the counts, the commission alleged that Adamu conspired with Ishaku Aliyu, Managing Director of Makayye Investment Resources Ltd, and Muntaka Mohammed Duguri, both said to be at large, between June and December 2023.
The EFCC alleged that they facilitated the conversion, transfer, concealment and use of about N4.65bn released by Polaris Bank under the pretext of financing the supply of motorcycles to the Bauchi State Government.
“The motorcycles were not supplied, and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 21(a) and punishable under Section 21 of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022,” part of the charge read.
Another count accused the defendants of retaining and transferring proceeds of unlawful activities through nominees and third-party accounts in 2023.
The commission alleged that N165.9m was transferred to Ayab Agro Products and Freight Company Ltd as part of the proceeds.
The EFCC said the offence was contrary to Section 20(a) and punishable under Section 20 of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.
When the case was called, the EFCC counsel, Samuel Chime, told the court that the defendants were ready for arraignment.
After the charges were read, Adamu and the company pleaded not guilty to all six counts.
Adamu’s lawyer, Chief Gordy Uche (SAN), informed the court that a bail application had been filed and urged the judge to grant bail on liberal terms.
He said, “We pray the court to admit the first defendant to bail pending trial.”
Uche added that although the defence had received a counter affidavit from the prosecution, they would not be responding to it.
Opposing the application, Chime said the EFCC had filed a 15-paragraph counter affidavit on December 22.
“We urge the court to refuse the bail application and order accelerated hearing of the case,” he said.
Uche also reminded the court that he had earlier appealed for Adamu to be released temporarily due to the need to pay workers’ salaries in Bauchi State.
However, Justice Nwite said the court would give a short date for the ruling on bail.
In his ruling, the judge ordered that Adamu be remanded at the Kuje Correctional Centre pending the decision on his bail application.
After the adjournment, the EFCC lawyer informed the court that additional defendants had been brought into the case and that a fresh charge had been filed.
But Justice Nwite said the new charge was not before the court and fixed Wednesday for the arraignment.
The judge later granted the EFCC’s request that Adamu remain in the commission’s custody temporarily to avoid logistical challenges ahead of the next court sitting.
