Alleged Terrorism Financing: Wike Dares Bala Mohammed to Clear His Name, Denies EFCC Link

Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has dismissed allegations by Bauchi State Governor, Bala Mohammed, that he orchestrated the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission’s (EFCC) terrorism financing case against the state’s Commissioner for Finance, Yakubu Adamu, urging the governor to clear his name if he has nothing to hide.

Adamu was arraigned by the EFCC on Wednesday before a federal court over alleged terrorism financing involving about $9.7 million. Following the arraignment, Governor Mohammed accused the Federal Government of using the anti-graft agency to persecute him and members of his administration, claiming the move was politically motivated and linked to his refusal to defect to the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Reacting during a meeting with his supporters in Abua/Odual Local Government Area of Rivers State, Wike rejected the accusations, describing them as an attempt to unfairly blame him for the challenges facing the Bauchi administration. He said Mohammed had developed a habit of attributing every political or legal difficulty to him.

Wike questioned the logic of the governor’s claims, noting that if Mohammed truly believed he wielded such influence, he should not have engaged him politically in the past. He also accused the Bauchi governor of previously attempting to impose party leadership on Rivers State during his tenure as governor, warning that such actions would inevitably breed internal crises.

According to the former Rivers State governor, those warnings have now materialised, arguing that Mohammed is struggling with internal party issues, including succession planning. He maintained that he had no involvement whatsoever in the EFCC investigation and urged the Bauchi governor to focus on addressing the allegations levelled against his commissioner.

Wike further mocked what he described as a growing tendency to link him to controversies across the country, insisting that he could not be held responsible for every political or legal problem confronting public office holders.

He concluded by calling on his critics to stop dragging his name into unrelated matters and challenged Governor Mohammed to face the allegations squarely by clearing himself through due legal process. The EFCC has not commented on the political exchanges surrounding the case, while proceedings against the Bauchi commissioner continue.