A Federal High Court in Abuja has remanded Bello Bodejo, president of Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore, in the custody of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over an alleged $2.63 million money laundering case.
Justice Inyang Ekwo, who presided over the matter, on Thursday ordered that Bodejo remain in EFCC custody pending the determination of his bail application.
The court adjourned proceedings until 20 July to rule on the bail request.
Bodejo was arraigned on charges bordering on alleged money laundering and pleaded not guilty to all the counts filed against him.
Following the arraignment, EFCC counsel Wahab Shittu urged the court to fix a date for trial and order the remand of the defendant.
However, counsel to Bodejo, Ahmed Raji, informed the court that a bail application had already been filed and requested that it be heard.
Moving the application, Raji said the motion, filed on 30 June, was supported by several grounds. He argued that the offences alleged against his client were bailable under the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA) and urged the court to grant bail.
The EFCC opposed the application, relying on a 28-paragraph counter-affidavit filed before the court.
“We adopt all our processes in opposition to the application, my lord,” Shittu said.
The prosecutor argued that Bodejo had previously been “a guest at the Department of State Services (DSS) for other offences” and could commit further offences if released on bail.
Shittu also challenged the defendant’s claim of ill health, arguing that the injury referred to was not recent and that Bodejo did not appear to be in poor health.
He further told the court that the defendant could interfere with witnesses if granted bail, but urged the judge to impose strict conditions should the court decide otherwise.
According to the charge, the EFCC alleged that Bodejo, on 21 January 2022, received $200,000 in cash from Sa’idu Abubakar, a former accountant-general of Bauchi State, in a transaction above the legal threshold.
The commission further alleged that Bodejo received another $100,000 in cash from Abubakar on 26 October 2022, as well as an additional $980,000 through separate cash transactions.
The EFCC said the alleged offences contravened Section 19(1)(d) of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022, and are punishable under Section 19(2)(b) of the same legislation.
