Yuletide: Finance commissioner’s detention delaying Bauchi workers’ salaries, says SAN

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The prolonged detention of Bauchi State Commissioner for Finance, Yakubu Adamu, by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has stalled salary payments to more than 66,000 workers across the state, his lawyer, Chief Gordy Uche (SAN), told the Federal High Court in Abuja on Wednesday.

Raising the alarm during court proceedings,  Uche said Bauchi State had effectively been shut down since Adamu’s arrest, warning that thousands of civil servants could go on Christmas break without pay.

“My Lord, the 1st defendant is the Commissioner for Finance in 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,” Uche said.

The warning came as Justice Emeka Nwite ordered the EFCC to produce Adamu in court on December 30 for arraignment over alleged N4.6bn money laundering, after the anti-graft agency failed for the second time to present him to take his plea.

Justice Nwite issued the order following the EFCC’s inability to proceed with the arraignment as scheduled, cautioning that the prosecuting counsel would face sanctions 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 charge marked FHC/ABJ/CR/694/2025.

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

The prosecution alleged that the funds were released 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 N165.9m 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.

The defendants were initially scheduled for arraignment on Tuesday, but proceedings could not go on due to the absence of both the prosecution and the defendants, even though defence lawyers were 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 another adjournment, explaining that the commission 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.

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

But the defence counsel, Uche, strongly 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,” he said.

He further argued that the filing of a charge presupposed the conclusion of investigation, noting that the EFCC had already responded to the defence’s bail application without suggesting that investigations were still ongoing or that additional suspects were being pursued.

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

Responding, Chime insisted that investigations had been concluded and that the prosecution only sought what he described as a “uniform arraignment” of all defendants.

Justice Nwite, however, openly criticised the EFCC’s handling of the case.

“Inasmuch as you are not ready, why will you bring the charge? I detest this absolutely,” the judge said.

When Chime assured the court that the arraignment would proceed even if the additional suspects failed to appear on the next date, the judge issued a stern warning.

“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,” Justice Nwite said.

In adjourning the matter to December 30, the judge reiterated his displeasure with the prosecution’s conduct and threatened sanctions for any 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 warned.

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