Justice Inyang Ekwo of a Federal High Court, Abuja, has granted bail to the National President of Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore, Bello Bodejo, in the sum of ₦2 billion with one surety in like sum.
In the ruling on Bodejo’s bail application, Justice Ekwo ordered that the surety must possess a three-year tax clearance certificate and must reside in Abuja. The surety must also own land worth ₦2 billion in Abuja, with the documents to be verified by the court registrar.
The judge further ordered Bodejo to deposit his passport with the court registrar and barred him from travelling outside Nigeria without the court’s permission.
Bodejo is accused of money laundering involving about $2.63 million. Justice Ekwo held that the alleged offences for which he was charged are bailable and that the court has the discretionary power to grant him bail.
He adjourned the matter to October 5, 6, and 7, 2026, for the commencement of trial.
Justice Ekwo had on July 9 fixed Monday for the ruling on the bail application of Bodejo, who is facing money laundering charges involving about $2.63 million.
The judge ordered Bodejo’s remand in the custody of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) after his arraignment by the anti-graft agency.
The EFCC, through its counsel Wahab Shittu, SAN, named Bodejo as the sole defendant in the charge dated June 24 and filed on June 25, 2026.
After the charges were read to him, Bodejo pleaded not guilty to all the counts.
Shittu then applied for a trial date and urged the court to remand the defendant.
Defence counsel Ahmed Raji, SAN, informed the court of their bail application dated and filed on June 30, 2026. He submitted that the offences bordered on money laundering and are bailable under the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA). He urged the court to admit the defendant to bail.
Shittu vehemently opposed the bail application.
In count one, Bodejo was alleged to have, on or about January 11, 2022, in Abuja, without lawful authority, accepted a cash payment of $100,000 in physical currency from Sa’idu Abubakar, a former Accountant-General of Bauchi State who is currently in the lawful custody of the Nigerian Police Force.
The sum exceeded the statutory cash transaction threshold of ₦5 million prescribed under Section 1(a) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2011 (as amended), without routing the transaction through a financial institution as required by law.
“You thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 16(1)(d) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2011 (as amended) and punishable under Section 16(2)(b) of the same Act,” it read.
In count two, Bodejo was alleged to have, on or about January 21, 2022, in Abuja, without lawful authority, accepted a cash payment of $200,000 from Sa’idu Abubakar.
Count three accused him of accepting $100,000 on or about October 26, 2022, in Abuja, from Abubakar without lawful authority.
In count four, he was alleged to have accepted $980,000 on or about February 7, 2024, in Abuja, from Abubakar.
Count five accused him of accepting $750,000 on or about March 3, 2024, from Abubakar.
In count six, Bodejo was alleged to have, on or about March 20, 2024, in Abuja, accepted a cash payment of $500,000 in physical currency from Abubakar without lawful authority.
It said this exceeded the statutory cash transaction threshold of ₦5 million prescribed under Section 2(1)(a) of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022, without routing the transaction through a financial institution as required by law.
“You thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 19(1)(d) of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022 and punishable under Section 19(2)(b) of the same Act,” count six reads.
Follow us on:
