ENUGU, Nigeria (VOICE OF NAIJA)- The Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has directed the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to produce the Bauchi State Commissioner for Finance, Yakubu Adamu, in court on December 30 for arraignment over an alleged N4.65 billion money laundering case.
Justice Emeka Nwite issued the order after counsel to the EFCC, Samuel Chime, failed to present the defendant in court for the taking of his plea, warning that sanctions would be imposed should the commission fail to comply on the next adjourned date.
Adamu and Ayab Agro Products and Freight Company Ltd were billed for arraignment on Tuesday.
However, proceedings could not go on due to the absence of both the prosecution counsel and the defendants, even though defence lawyers led by Gordy Uche, SAN, were present in court.
Explaining the absence, Chime told the court that the EFCC intended to amend the charge to include two additional suspects currently at large, necessitating an extension of the remand order to enable a joint arraignment.
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The request was strongly opposed by defence counsel, Uche, who argued that the defendant could be arraigned on the existing charge, while the prosecution retained the right to amend it subsequently.
Uche drew the court’s attention to what he described as the urgent implications of Adamu’s continued detention, stating that over 60,000 Bauchi State workers had yet to be paid salaries since the commissioner’s arrest.
He urged the court to compel the EFCC to proceed with the arraignment without further delay.
In his ruling, Justice Nwite adjourned the matter to December 30, cautioning the EFCC that failure to produce the defendant on that date would attract strict sanctions.
Adamu is standing trial on a six-count charge marked FHC/ABJ/CR/694/2025, alongside Ayab Agro Products and Freight Company Ltd.
The EFCC alleges that the defendants conspired to launder N4.65 billion, said to have been advanced by Polaris Bank for the supply of motorcycles to the Bauchi State Government through Emmanuel Asomugha General Enterprises.
According to the charge, the motorcycles were never supplied, while portions of the funds were allegedly diverted to third parties, including Ayab Agro Products and Freight Company Ltd, in contravention of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.