The Federal High Court in Abuja has relaxed some of the bail conditions earlier imposed on the National President of Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore, Alhaji Bello Bodejo, who is facing money laundering charges brought by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

Bodejo is being prosecuted over allegations that he laundered $2.63 million.

Justice Inyang Ekwo had, on July 20, granted him bail in the sum of ₦2 billion with two sureties in like sum. The court also ordered that one surety must provide evidence of three years’ tax clearance and reside within the court’s jurisdiction, while the second must own landed property worth ₦2 billion in Abuja.

However, ruling on an application to vary the bail conditions, Justice Salim Ibrahim, sitting as a vacation judge, reduced the bail bond to ₦1 billion with two sureties.

The judge ordered that one of the sureties must own landed property valued at ₦1 billion in Guzape, Asokoro or Maitama districts of Abuja.

He further directed the sureties to submit photocopies of their driver’s licences, National Identification Numbers (NINs) or international passports to the court.

Justice Ibrahim subsequently ordered that the case file be returned to Justice Ekwo for continuation of the substantive trial.

Bodejo was arraigned on July 9 on a six-count charge of alleged money laundering, to which he pleaded not guilty.

According to the EFCC, Bodejo unlawfully accepted multiple cash payments from a former Accountant-General of Bauchi State, Sa’idu Abubakar, without routing the transactions through financial institutions as required by law.

The anti-graft agency alleged that he received $100,000 on January 11, 2022, another $200,000 on January 21, 2022, and a further $100,000 on October 26, 2022, in violation of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2011.

The EFCC further alleged that Bodejo accepted $980,000 on February 7, 2024, $750,000 on March 3, 2024, and $500,000 on March 20, 2024, contrary to the provisions of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.

The commission maintains that all the transactions exceeded the statutory cash transaction threshold of ₦5 million and were conducted outside the banking system, contrary to the law. Bodejo has denied all the allegations.