Alleged $2.63m money laundering: Court admits Miyetti Allah president to N2b bail

The Federal High Court sitting in Abuja on Monday admitted Bello Bodejo, the National President of Miyetti Allah Kauta Kore, to N2 billion bail with two sureties in the like sum.

Justice Inyang Ekwo, in a ruling on Bodejo’s bail application, ordered that one of the sureties must present three years of tax clearance before the court and must reside in Abuja.

Justice Ekwo also ordered that the second surety must have land worth N2 billion in Abuja.

The judge equally ordered Bodejo to drop his international passport with the registrar of the court and not travel outside the country without leave of the court.

The judge agreed that the offence with which the defendant was charged was bailable, and the court has the discretionary power to exercise this in his favour.

He adjourned the matter until October 5, 6 and 7 for commencement of trial.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Justice Ekwo had, on July 9, remanded the Miyetti Allah president in the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission’s (EFCC) custody.

The judge gave the order following Bodejo’s arraignment by the EFCC on alleged money laundering offences.

NAN reports that the EFCC counsel, Wahab Shittu, SAN, had named Bodejo as the sole defendant in the charge dated June 24 and filed June 25.

After the charge was read to Bodejo, he pleaded not guilty to all the counts.

Shittu then applied for a trial date and urged the court to order his remand.

Mr Ahmed Raji, SAN, informed the court about the bail application for his client.

Moving the motion, Raji said the application was dated and 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.

He, therefore, urged the court to admit the defendant to bail.

But Shittu opposed Raji’s application for bail. (NAN)