By Folayimika Akanbi
Justice Inyang Edem Ekwo of the Federal High Court, Abuja, has ordered the remand of the leader of the Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore, Bello Bodejo over alleged money laundering.
The order came after the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on Wednesday arraigned Badejo on a 12-count charge bordering on money laundering to the tune of $2.33 million.
Justice Ekwo ordered the remand of the defendant in the anti-graft agency’s facility and adjourned the matter till July 20, 2026 for ruling on his bail application.
At Thursday proceedings, prosecution counsel Wahab Shittu, SAN drew the attention of the court to a 12-count charge application dated June 24, 2026 and filed June 25, 2026, urging the court to allow the defendant take his plea to which the judge granted his request.
Count one of the charge reads: “That you, Bello Abdullahi Bodejo (male, adult), 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, which sum exceeded the statutory cash transaction threshold of Five Million Naira (N5,000,000.00), prescribed under Section 1(a) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2011 (as amended), without routing the said transaction through a financial institution as required by law, and 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.”
Count four reads: “That you, Bello Abdullahi Bodejo (male, adult), on or about the 7th day of February 2024, 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 Nine Hundred and Eighty Thousand United States Dollars (USD $980,000.00) 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, which sum exceeded the statutory cash transaction threshold of Five Million Naira (N5,000,000.00) prescribed under Section 2(1)(a) of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022, without routing the said transaction through a financial institution as required by law, and 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”
He pleaded “not guilty” to the charges following which the prosecution counsel, Wahab Shittu, SAN, asked the court for a trial date and for the defendant to be remanded in the custody of the Nigeria Correctional Service, while the defence counsel, Ahmed Raji, SAN, prayed the court to admit his client to bail in respect of his bail application, filed on June, 30, 2026.
The prosecution counsel, however, strongly opposed the bail application, drawing the attention of the court to his counter-affidavit of 28 paragraphs, dated July 6, 2026.
He pointed out that the defendant is a public risk as the Department of State Security Services, DSS, is on the watch out for him, and that being an influential person, he may manipulate the witnesses and progress of the case.
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