The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), on Thursday, July 9, 2026, arraigned the leader of Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore, Bello Bodejo, before Justice Inyang Edem Ekwo of the Federal High Court, Abuja, on allegations of money laundering.
Bodejo was arraigned on a 12-count charge bordering on money laundering involving $2.33 million.
At Thursday’s proceedings, prosecution counsel, Wahab Shittu, SAN, drew the attention of the court to the 12-count charge dated June 24, 2026, and filed on June 25, 2026, urging the court to allow the defendant to take his plea. The judge granted the application.
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 (₦5,000,000.00), 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 (₦5,000,000.00), 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.”
Bodejo pleaded not guilty to the charges.
Following his plea, the prosecution counsel, Wahab Shittu, SAN, asked the court to fix a trial date and remand the defendant in the custody of the Nigerian Correctional Service. However, defence counsel, Ahmed Raji, SAN, urged the court to admit his client to bail based on the bail application filed on June 30, 2026.
The prosecution opposed the bail application, drawing the court’s attention to its 28-paragraph counter-affidavit dated July 6, 2026.
Shittu argued that the defendant posed a flight risk, noting that the Department of State Services (DSS) was searching for him. He further submitted that, given Bodejo’s influence, he could interfere with witnesses and obstruct the course of justice if granted bail.
Justice Ekwo ordered that the defendant be remanded in the EFCC’s holding facility and adjourned the matter until July 20, 2026, for the ruling on the bail application.
