Inside EFCC’s Case: How Bauchi Funds Allegedly Moved Off-Books Into Terrorism Financing and Money Laundering
A review of court filings, official memos and investigators’ statements has revealed how millions of dollars earmarked for Bauchi State’s development were allegedly diverted through an off-bank cash system, culminating in terrorism financing and money laundering charges against senior state officials.
Documents obtained by PREMIUM TIMES show that between late 2023 and July 2024, the Bauchi State Government disbursed large sums often in cash and outside the banking system under what officials described as “security commitments.” The payments, routed through intermediaries and delivered at unconventional locations in Abuja, allegedly reached a mix of individuals and corporate entities without documentation or receipts.
Investigators told the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) that beneficiaries signed no acknowledgment for the cash received. One of the recipients named in government records is Bello Bodejo, national president of Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore, who has faced multiple arrests and terrorism-related allegations in the past.
According to the EFCC, Mr Bodejo received a total of $2.33 million in four tranches between December 2023 and March 2024. A memo dated July 2024 from the then Accountant-General of Bauchi State sought the governor’s approval to “regularise” disbursements amounting to nearly $17 million and ₦75.2 million released between January and July 2024.
On 30 December 2025, the EFCC charged Bauchi’s Commissioner for Finance, Yakubu Adamu, alongside three civil servants—Balarabe Ilelah, Aminu Mohammed Bose and Kabiru Mohammed—with terrorism financing and money laundering. Prosecutors allege that some of the funds released to Mr Bodejo and others were used to support terrorist activities and that nearly $7 million was laundered through cash transactions that bypassed financial institutions.
The defendants were arraigned before the Federal High Court in Abuja on 31 December 2025. On 6 January, the court denied them bail, ruling that the allegations were grave and the documentary evidence compelling.
Governor Bala Mohammed, who enjoys constitutional immunity, has rejected claims of wrongdoing and accused the EFCC of political bias. The anti-corruption agency dismissed the accusation, insisting it is acting independently and strictly within the law.
Cash deliveries and intermediaries
Statements from intermediaries paint a detailed picture of how the alleged cash system operated. One agent told investigators he personally delivered $2.33 million in cash to Mr Bodejo at locations including restaurants, supermarkets and private residences in Abuja.
Another intermediary described delivering nearly $7 million in cash to Commissioner Adamu in multiple transactions between April and July 2024.
Investigators say the cash flows were coordinated by Danlawan Abdulmumin, whose companies allegedly served as conduits for funds received from state-linked accounts. EFCC records indicate that billions of naira passed through these channels between 2023 and 2025.
Questions and contradictions
A key puzzle emerging from the documents is timing: several alleged cash deliveries to Mr Bodejo reportedly occurred while he was in detention on terrorism charges. How he was able to receive funds and choose meeting venues during that period is expected to be scrutinised at trial.
Beyond the current case, the EFCC has filed multiple charges against serving and former Bauchi officials over similar transactions. These include separate money laundering cases involving the state’s Accountant-General and a bureau de change operator, as well as allegations against other senior officials who are reportedly at large.
The terrorism financing trial involving Commissioner Adamu is scheduled to commence on 13 January, with prosecutors expected to rely heavily on bank records, memos and sworn statements to prove how public funds were allegedly siphoned off-books and redistributed in cash.
As proceedings unfold, the case is shaping up to be one of the most far-reaching probes into the alleged misuse of state security funds in recent years, raising fresh questions about oversight, accountability and the financing of violence in Nigeria.
