N4.6bn laundering: Court orders EFCC to produce Bauchi finance commissioner

The Federal High Court in Abuja on Wednesday ordered the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission to produce the Bauchi State Commissioner for Finance, Yakubu Adamu, in court on December 30 for arraignment over alleged N4.6 billion money laundering.

Justice Emeka Nwite issued the order after the EFCC failed, for the second time, to present Adamu for plea-taking, warning that the prosecuting counsel would be sanctioned if the defendant was not produced on the next adjourned date.

Adamu and a company, Ayab Agro Products and Freight Company Ltd, are listed as first and second defendants respectively in a six-count charge marked FHC/ABJ/CR/694/2025.

According to the charge filed on December 19 by the EFCC, Adamu, while acting as Branch Manager of Polaris Bank Ltd in Bauchi, allegedly conspired with Ishaku Mohammed Aliyu, Managing Director of Makayye Investment Resources Ltd and Muntaka Mohammed Duguri, both said to be at large, to launder about N4.65 billion between June and December 2023.

The prosecution alleged that the funds were availed by Polaris Bank under the guise of financing the supply of motorcycles to the Bauchi State Government through Emmanuel Asomugha General Enterprises, but that the motorcycles were never supplied.

“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,” the charge read in part.

Another count accused the defendants of retaining and transferring proceeds of an unlawful act through nominees and third parties, including the alleged transfer of N165.9 million to Ayab Agro Products and Freight Company Ltd.

The EFCC said the offences were contrary to and punishable under the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022

They were scheduled for arraignment on Tuesday, but the matter could not proceed due to the absence of both the prosecution and the defendants, despite defence lawyers being present in court.

When the case was called again on Wednesday, Adamu was still not in court. EFCC counsel, Samuel Chime, apologised for the previous day’s absence and sought an adjournment, explaining that the prosecution intended to amend the charge to include additional suspects.

“If my lord will notice, the defendant is not in court in that we intend to amend our charge and bring in other defendants who are at large,” Chime said.

He added that the suspects had written to the EFCC indicating their readiness to honour invitations.

He also applied for an extension of the remand order, which he said was about to expire, to enable the commission arraign all defendants together on December 30.

However, lead defence counsel, Chief Gordy Uche (SAN), vehemently opposed the application, arguing that it was not made in good faith.

“There is already a charge before the court against the defendant which he can take a plea on. The prosecution can amend the charge at any time before judgment,” Uche said.

He argued that once a charge had been filed, it presupposed that investigation had been concluded, noting that the EFCC had already responded to the defence’s bail application without indicating that investigations were ongoing or that other suspects were being sought.

“The matter is ripe for arraignment and for the motion for bail, my lord,” Uche stated.

Uche urged the court to stand the matter down to allow Adamu to be produced, stressing the wider implications of his continued detention.

“My lord, the 1st defendant is the Commissioner of Finance for Bauchi State. Since his detention, more than 60,000 workers have not been paid. They may even go on Christmas break without salaries. “The entire Bauchi State has been shut down. This matter goes beyond one person,” he said.

Responding, Chime insisted that the investigation had been concluded and that the prosecution only sought a “uniform arraignment” of all defendants.

Justice Nwite, however, queried the EFCC’s conduct, “Inasmuch as you are not ready, why will you bring the charge? I detest this absolutely,” the judge said, expressing dismay at the prosecution’s handling of the case.

When Chime assured the court that the arraignment would proceed even if the additional suspects failed to appear on the next date, the judge warned sternly:

“This is unfair. It is uncalled for and quite unprofessional. If you do not bring the defendants, I will descend very heavily on you. Go and tell your chairman.”

In adjourning the matter to December 30, Justice Nwite reiterated his displeasure with the prosecution’s conduct and threatened sanctions for further default.

“It is unfair to file a charge and fail to bring the defendant for arraignment. If they fail to bring the defendant on the next adjourned date, I will not take it lightly,” he said.