The legal battle involving the National President of Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore, Bello Bodejo, took a fresh turn on Monday as the Federal High Court in Abuja granted him bail worth ₦2bn.
Justice Inyang Ekwo approved the bail after ruling on Bodejo’s application, holding that the offences brought against him were bailable and that the court had the discretion to admit him to bail.
The Judge, however, ordered Bodejo to provide one surety in the same sum.
The surety must be resident in Abuja and possess a three-year tax clearance certificate, the court ruled.
Justice Ekwo further directed that the surety must own landed property worth ₦2bn in Abuja, with the title documents to be verified by the court registrar.
The Judge also ordered Bodejo to deposit his international passport with the court registrar and barred him from travelling outside Nigeria without the court’s permission.
The case was adjourned until October 5, 6 and 7, 2026, for the commencement of trial.
Bodejo was arraigned by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission on July 9 on a multi-count charge bordering on alleged money laundering involving approximately $2.63m.
He pleaded not guilty to all the charges.
Following the arraignment, the prosecution counsel, Wahab Shittu (SAN), requested a trial date and urged the court to remand Bodejo in EFCC custody.
However, counsel to the defendant, Ahmed Raji (SAN), told the court that he had filed a bail application dated June 30.
Raji argued that the offences alleged against his client were bailable under the Administration of Criminal Justice Act and urged the court to grant the application.
Shittu opposed the bail application and asked the court to reject it.
In one of the counts, the EFCC alleged that Bodejo, “on or about January 11, 2022, in Abuja… accepted a cash payment of $100,000 from a former Accountant-General of Bauchi State, Sa’idu Abubakar, without lawful authority…” and outside the banking system, in violation of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2011 (as amended).
The anti-graft agency alleged that the transaction exceeded the statutory cash transaction threshold of ₦5m prescribed by law.
The Commission further accused Bodejo of accepting additional cash payments of $200,000, $100,000, $980,000, $750,000 and $500,000 from Abubakar on different dates between 2022 and 2024.
The EFCC alleged that the transactions were carried out outside financial institutions, contrary to the provisions of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2011 (as amended), and the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.
According to the Commission, the alleged transactions formed the basis of the charges against the Miyetti Allah leader.
Bodejo has denied the allegations.