The Federal High Court in Abuja on Thursday ordered the remand of Alhaji Bello Bodejo, National President of Miyetti Allah Kauta Kore, in the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC)’s custody.
Justice Inyang Ekwo gave the order following his arraignment by the EFCC on alleged money laundering involving $2.63 million.
Justice Ekwo further ordered that Bodejo would be in the anti-graft agency’s custody pending a ruling on his bail application.
The judge then adjourned the matter until July 20 for ruling.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the EFCC, through its lawyer, Wahab Shittu, SAN, had named Bodejo as sole defendant in the charge dated June 24 and filed June 25.
When the case was called on Thursday, Shittu informed the court that the matter was scheduled for the defendant to take his plea and that they were ready to proceed.
The defence counsel, Ahmed Raji, SAN, did not oppose the application.
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.
But Raji informed the court that a bail application had been filed.
He pleaded with the court to enable him move the motion, having served the prosecution.
Moving the motion, Raji said the application was dated and filed on June 30.
“There are grounds in support of the application from A to N,” he said.
The lawyer submitted that the offences with which Bodejo was charged bordered on money laundering.
According to him, under Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA), they are bailable offences.
He, therefore, urged the court to admit the defendant to bail.
But Shittu vehemently opposed Raji application for bail.
He said in response, the commission filed a 28-paragraph counter affidavit.
“We adopt all our processes in opposition to the application my lord,” he said, praying the court to reject the request.
The prosecution counsel said even from the defendant’s averment, the court would see that Bodejo had been “a guest at the Department of State Services (DSS) for other offences.”
He submitted that if granted a bail, the defendant might further commit another offence.
He said on argument about his ill-health, Shittu said the injury the defendant claimed to have was not a recent one and that he was not looking unhealthy.
The lawyer argued that if admitted to bail, Bodejo might use his influence to influence the witnesses in the case.
He, however, submitted that if the court was inclined to admit him to bail, this should be on stringent measures.
Justice Ekwo, who adjourned the case until July 20 for ruling on his bail, ordered that Bodejo should be remanded in EFCC’s custody.
NAN obseves that in count one, Bodejo was alleged to have, on or about Jan. 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 Jan. 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 Oct. 26, 2022 in Abuja, without lawful authority from Abubakar.
