A Federal High Court in Abuja has reviewed and relaxed the bail conditions granted to the National President of Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore, Alhaji Bello Bodejo, who is standing trial over an alleged $2.63 million money laundering case.
Delivering a ruling on Wednesday, Justice Salim Ibrahim, sitting as a vacation judge, reduced Bodejo’s bail from ₦2 billion to ₦1 billion after granting his application for a variation of the earlier conditions imposed by the court.
The judge ordered that Bodejo must produce two sureties in like sum, with one of them owning landed property valued at ₦1 billion in either Guzape, Asokoro or Maitama in the Federal Capital Territory.
Justice Ibrahim further directed that the sureties submit photocopies of their driver’s licences, National Identification Numbers (NIN) or international passports to the court for verification.
He also ordered that the case file be returned to the trial judge, Justice Inyang Ekwo, for the continuation of the substantive hearing.
Bodejo is being prosecuted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on a six-count charge bordering on the alleged laundering of $2.63 million. He was arraigned on 9 July and pleaded not guilty to all the charges.
Justice Ekwo had initially admitted him to bail on 20 July in the sum of ₦2 billion, with stringent conditions, including a requirement that one surety provide evidence of three years’ tax clearance while another must own landed property valued at ₦2 billion within Abuja.
