Reported by: Oahimire Omone Precious | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
The Federal High Court sitting in Maitama, Abuja, has granted the National President of Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore, Bello Bodejo, bail in the sum of N2 billion, ruling that the alleged money laundering offences for which he is being prosecuted are bailable under Nigerian law despite objections from the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission. Justice Inyang Ekwo delivered the ruling on Monday, July 20, 2026, after Bodejo's counsel, Ahmed Raji, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, argued that the charges against his client bordered on money laundering, which are bailable offences under the Administration of Criminal Justice Act. The judge held that the court had the discretionary power to admit the defendant to bail and exercised that discretion in his favour.
As part of the stringent bail conditions, Justice Ekwo ordered Bodejo to produce two sureties in the like sum of N2 billion. One of the sureties must reside in Abuja and provide evidence of tax clearance certificates for the years 2023, 2024, and 2025. The second surety must own landed property within the Federal Capital Territory valued at not less than N2 billion, with the court registrar directed to verify the title documents. The judge further ordered Bodejo to deposit his international passport with the court's registrar and barred him from travelling outside Nigeria without the court's prior permission. The court also directed the registrar to notify the Nigeria Immigration Service of the seizure of the passport.
Justice Ekwo subsequently adjourned the matter until October 5, 6, and 7, 2026, for the commencement of trial. Bodejo was first arraigned on July 9, 2026, by the EFCC on a 12-count charge bordering on money laundering involving approximately $2.33 million. He pleaded not guilty to all the charges when they were read to him. The EFCC, through its counsel Wahab Shittu, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, had opposed the bail application, arguing that the defendant posed a flight risk and could interfere with witnesses. Shittu told the court that the Department of State Services was "on the watch out for him" and that, "being an influential person, he may manipulate the witnesses and progress of the case".
Justice Ekwo had, on July 9, ordered Bodejo to be remanded in EFCC custody pending the ruling on the bail application. Count one of the charge alleges that Bodejo, "on or about the 11th day of January 2022, at Abuja, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, did knowingly and wilfully, without lawful authority or excuse, accept a cash payment of the sum of One Hundred Thousand United States Dollars (USD $100,000.00) in physical currency from one Sa'idu Abubakar, a former Accountant-General of Bauchi State who is currently in the lawful custody of the Nigeria Police Force". The EFCC alleged that the transaction exceeded the statutory cash transaction threshold of N5 million prescribed under the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2011, without routing the transaction through a financial institution as required by law. The commission further alleged that Bodejo accepted additional cash payments of $200,000, $100,000, $980,000, $750,000, and $500,000 from Abubakar on different dates between 2022 and 2024, allegedly in breach of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act and the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022. Bodejo has denied all the allegations.
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