Justice Inyang Ekwo of a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has admitted the National President of Miyetti Allah Kauta Kore, Bello Bodejo, to a N2 billion bail with two sureties in like sum.
In a ruling on Bodejo’s bail application on Monday, the trial judge ordered that one of the sureties must have a three-year tax clearance and must reside in Abuja.
Justice Ekwo, who also ordered that the second sureties must have a land worth N2 billion in Abuja, held that documents of the property shall be verified by the court registrar.
The judge equally ordered Bodejo to drop his international passport with the registrar of the court and must not travel outside the country without the leave of the court.
He agreed that the offences with which the defendant was charged were bailable ones and the court had the discretionary power to exercise this in his favour and adjourned the matter till October 5, 6 and 7 for commencement of trial.
The judge had, on July 9, fixed Monday for ruling on Bodejo’s bail application, who is facing a money laundering charge of about $2.63 million.
The judge thereafter ordered the remand of the Miyetti Allah president in the custody of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
EFCC, through its lawyer, Wahab Shittu, SAN, had named Bodejo as the sole defendant in the charge filed June 25, which Bodejo pleaded not guilty to all the counts when read out to him.
Shittu then applied for a trial date and urged the court to order his remand.
But Ahmed Raji, SAN, representing the defendant informed the court about their bail application filed on June 30.
The lawyer submitted that the offences with which Bodejo was charged bordered on money laundering. According to him, under the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA), they are bailable offences and urged the court to admit the defendant to bail.
Counsel to the prosecution, Wahab Shittu, opposed Raji’s application for bail of the Miyetti Allah president.
In count one, Bodejo was alleged to have, on or about January 11, 2022, in Abuja, without lawful authority, accepted a cash payment of the sum of $100,000 in physical currency from Sa’idu Abubakar a former Accountant-General (AG) of Bauchi State who is currently in the lawful custody of the Nigerian Police Force.
It said the sum exceeded the statutory cash transaction threshold of N5 million 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.
“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 the January 21, 2022 in Abuja, without lawful authority accepted a cash payment of the sum of $200,000.00 in physical currency from Sa’idu Abubakar, a former AG of Bauchi State who is currently in the lawful custody of the Nigerian Police Force, which exceeded the transaction threshold.
Count three accused him of accepting a cash payment of another $100,000.00 on or about October 26, 2022 in Abuja, without lawful authority from Abubakar.
In count four, the defendant was alleged to have, on or about February 7, 2024 in Abuja, without lawful authority accepted a cash payment of the sum of $980,000.00 in physical currency from Abubakar.
Count five accused him of accepting $750,000.00, on or about March 3, 2024 in Abuja, from Abubakar without lawful authority.
In Count six, Bodejo was alleged to have, on or about March 20, 2024 in Abuja, accepted a cash payment of $500,000.00 in physical currency from Abubakar without lawful authority.
It said this exceeded the statutory cash transaction threshold of N5 million 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.