A Federal High Court in Abuja has varied some of the conditions attached to the N2 billion bail earlier granted to the detained National President of Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore, Alhaji Bello Bodejo.
Bodejo is being prosecuted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for allegedly laundering $2.63 million.
Justice Inyang Ekwo, before whom Bodejo was arraigned, had granted him bail on 20 July in the sum of N2 billion, with two sureties in like sum.
Justice Ekwo ordered that one of the sureties must present evidence of three years’ tax clearance and reside within the court’s jurisdiction, while the second must own landed property worth N2 billion in Abuja.
However, in a ruling on Wednesday, Justice Salim Ibrahim, sitting as a vacation judge, granted Bodejo’s application to vary some of the bail terms.
Justice Ibrahim reduced the bail sum from N2 billion to N1 billion, with two sureties, one of whom must own landed property worth N1 billion in either Guzape, Asokoro or Maitama, Abuja.
The judge added that the sureties must also provide the court with photocopies of their driver’s licence, National Identification Number (NIN) or international passport.
He then ordered that the case file be returned to Justice Ekwo’s court for the continuation of the substantive hearing.
Bodejo was arraigned on 9 July on a six-count charge, to which he pleaded not guilty.
In count one, he is alleged to have, on or about 11 January 2022, in Abuja, without lawful authority, accepted a cash payment of $100,000 from Sa’idu Abubakar, a former Accountant-General of Bauchi State, who is currently in the custody of the Nigeria Police Force.
The EFCC 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), and was not routed through a financial institution as required by law, an offence contrary to Section 16(1)(d) and punishable under Section 16(2)(b) of the same Act.
In count two, Bodejo is alleged to have, on or about 21 January 2022, in Abuja, accepted a further $200,000 cash payment from Abubakar, again exceeding the statutory threshold.
In count three, he is accused of accepting another $100,000 from Abubakar on or about 26 October 2022, in Abuja, without lawful authority.
In count four, he is alleged to have accepted $980,000 from Abubakar on or about 7 February 2024, in Abuja.
In count five, he is accused of accepting $750,000 from Abubakar on or about 3 March 2024, in Abuja.
In count six, he is alleged to have accepted $500,000 from Abubakar on or about 20 March 2024, in Abuja.
For counts four to six, the EFCC said the sums 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 the transactions being routed through a financial institution as required by law — offences contrary to Section 19(1)(d) and punishable under Section 19(2)(b) of the same Act.
(The Sun)