The Federal High Court in Abuja has rejected an application by Bauchi State Commissioner for Finance Yakubu Adamu, seeking permission to travel to Mecca, Saudi Arabia, for the Hajj pilgrimage.
Judge Emeka Nwite held in a ruling on Monday that Mr Adamu, who faces alleged N4.65 billion money laundering charges, failed to place sufficient materials before the court to justify the request.
In the ruling on Tuesday, the judge upheld the objection raised by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) that the affidavit attached to the application was defective because the applicant did not sign it.
Judge Nwite said an unsigned document has no probative value in law and therefore does not meet the minimum legal requirements.
He added that although the court recognises the applicant’s fundamental rights under Section 36 of the 1999 Constitution, such rights are not absolute.
The judge also held that the case of former Delta State Governor James Ibori, cited by Mr Adamu in support of the application, does not apply to the present matter because Mr Ibori based his request on medical grounds.
The EFCC arraigned Mr Adamu on 30 December last year on N4.65 billion money laundering charges.
He, alongside his corporate co‑defendant, Ayab Agro Products and Freight Company Ltd, was arraigned on six counts, including conspiracy, money laundering, and unlawful acquisition of funds.
The defendants pleaded not guilty to all the charges.
On 2 February, Judge Nwite granted the commissioner bail in the sum of N500 million with two sureties.
Mr Adamu had sought in his application an order directing the release of his passport to enable him to travel to Mecca for pilgrimage.
He sought the court’s permission to travel to Mecca and return to Nigeria by 21 March.
An affidavit sworn by Emmanuel Tsebo, a litigation secretary in the law firm of Chris Uche SAN & Co, and filed in support of Mr Adamu’s motion, noted that the commissioner was arraigned on allegations of misappropriation of funds and had been admitted to bail by the court.
However, it said mr Adamu had an urgent need to attend pilgrimage in Mecca and return to Nigeria on 21 March.
However, it said mr Adamu had an urgent need to attend pilgrimage in Mecca and return to Nigeria on 21 March.
Mr Adamu said performing Hajj is a highly recommended rite for Muslim faithful and forms an integral part of his religious practice. He undertook to return the travel documents to the registry of the court on or before 22 March and to attend his trial.
The Bauchi commissioner said granting the application would not prejudice the prosecution and prayed the court to allow him to travel in the interest of justice.
The EFCC arraigned Mr Adamu and his co-defendant late last year, accusing them of N4.65 billion money laundering. The commission alleged in the six charges that Mr Adamu, who is the prime suspect, committed the alleged offences in 2023 while he was the branch manager of Polaris Bank in Bauchi.
It said the defendants channelled funds through a series of complex transactions to disguise their illicit origin from an unlawful activity.
According to the EFCC, the defendants carried out the fraudulent scheme under the guise of financing the purchase of motorcycles for the Bauchi State Government. The motorcycles were never delivered.