The Federal High Court in Abuja has adjourned indefinitely the trial of Bauchi State Commissioner for Finance, Yakubu Adamu, who is facing terrorism-financing and money laundering charges alongside three others.

Presiding judge Justice Mohammed Umar announced the decision after disclosing that the prosecution team, led by M. O. Adebayo, had written to the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court expressing dissatisfaction with the handling of the case and seeking its transfer to another judge. Justice Umar told the court that he could not proceed until the Chief Judge responds to the request.

The disclosure drew a sharp reaction from the defence. Lead counsel to Adamu, Senior Advocate of Nigeria Chris Uche, said he was taken aback by the development, insisting that any correspondence to the Chief Judge on a pending matter should have been copied to the defence. He described the move as unfair and a breach of the defendants’ rights, arguing that it shut the defence out of a crucial procedural step.

Uche also applied for the release of Adamu’s passport, informing the court that the commissioner is part of a high-level Bauchi State delegation overseeing preparations for the annual Hajj exercise. The court did not immediately rule on that request, with Justice Umar stressing that the issue before him was essentially administrative rather than judicial.

The judge explained that, in light of the prosecution’s letter, he was not expected to continue hearing the matter. While the prosecution urged that the case be adjourned sine die pending reassignment, the defence objected, warning that an open-ended adjournment risked effectively killing the case and undermining confidence in the justice system.

Justice Umar nonetheless ordered that the matter be adjourned sine die, pending the Chief Judge’s decision on whether to reassign it. Uche indicated he would also write to the Chief Judge to protest the prosecution’s failure to notify the defence of its earlier letter, saying such practices do not serve the administration of justice.

Adamu and his co-defendants are facing a 10-count charge filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, alleging that they conspired to divert millions of dollars from Bauchi State Government coffers to individuals purportedly linked to terrorist elements, in violation of the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act 2022 and the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act 2022.