The leader of Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore, Bello Bodejo, has pleaded “not guilty” to a 12-count charge bordering on money laundering to the tune of $2.33 million (₦3.32 billion).
Bodejo was arraigned on Wednesday, July 8, by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) before Justice Inyang Edem Ekwo of the Federal High Court (FHC), Abuja, for alleged money laundering.
When the matter came up on Thursday, July 9, prosecution counsel Wahab Shittu, SAN, in referring the court to the EFCC’s 12-count charge application dated June 24, 2026 and filed June 25, urged the court to allow the defendant to take his plea, a request the judge granted.
Some of the count charges read: “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.
“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.”
Following the “Not guilty” plea, Shittu, SAN, who strongly opposed the bail application of Bodejo, asked the court for a trial date and for the defendant to be remanded in the custody of the Nigeria Correctional Service (NCS).
Ahmed Raji, SAN, counsel to the defendant, moved the bail application, praying the court to admit his client to bail in respect of his bail application, filed on June 30, 2026.
Shittu, SAN, in opposing the bail application, told the court that Bodejo poses a public risk, as the Department of State Security Services (DSS) is on the lookout for him, and that, being an influential person, he may manipulate witnesses and the progress of the case.
Justice Ekwo, having listened to the arguments by counsel, ordered the remand of Bodejo in EFCC’s holding facility and adjourned the matter till July 20, 2026, for ruling on the bail application.
