Justice Nwite said the matter was a vacation case and could no longer be handled by him.
Justice Emeka Nwite of the Federal High Court in Abuja on Tuesday, ordered the return of the case file involving the Bauchi State Commissioner for Finance, Yakubu Adamu, to the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, Justice John Tsoho, for reassignment to a substantive judge.
Justice Nwite said the matter was a vacation case and could no longer be handled by him.
The Judge said the matter is being returned to the Chief Judge because it is a vacation matter which ought to be reassigned to a substantive judge to handle.
Adamu is standing trial alongside Balarabe Abdullahi Ilelah, Aminu Mohammed Bose and Kabiru Yahaya Mohammed, following their arraignment by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Wednesday, December 31, 2025.
The defendants are facing a 10-count charge bordering on alleged terrorism financing, contrary to Sections 2(1) and 19(1)(d) and punishable under Section 19(2)(b) of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.
One of the counts alleges that Adamu, in his capacity as Commissioner for Finance of the Bauchi State Government, sometime in 2024, received cash payments amounting to $6.95 million outside the banking system, an offence the EFCC said contravenes the provisions of the Act.
All the defendants pleaded not guilty to the charges.
On Monday, January 5, 2026, the court refused their bail applications and ordered that they be remanded at the Kuje Correctional Centre pending the commencement of trial.
At Tuesday’s proceedings, counsel for the defendants, Chief Chris Uche (SAN), informed the court that the defence was ready to proceed with trial. The EFCC also announced a change in its legal team, presenting Adebayo Ojo as the new counsel handling the prosecution.
In further explanation of his decision, Justice Nwite said he had carefully listened to the submissions of the defence and found no dispute as to the status of the case.
“I have listened to the submission of the learned senior counsel for the defendants, it is not in doubt that this is a vacation matter which was returned to the registrar after the vacation for onward return to the Chief Judge for reassigning the case substantively,” he said.
The case file has now been forwarded to the Chief Judge for reassignment to another judge of the Federal High Court for continuation of proceedings.