The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has charged Bello Bodejo, the leader of Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore, with money laundering involving funds he allegedly received from the Bauchi State Government. In a statement on Wednesday, EFCC spokesperson Dele Oyewale announced that the commission filed 12 counts of money laundering against Bodejo on Monday at the Federal High Court in Abuja.
Details of the Charges
The EFCC alleges that Bodejo received and possessed large sums of cash in foreign currency linked to proceeds of unlawful activities, contravening the Money Laundering (Prevention & Prohibition) Act, 2011. The charges claim that Bodejo, linked to Bauchi State Governor Bala Mohammed, received a total of $2.53 million under suspicious circumstances.
According to the EFCC statement, Bodejo is expected to take his plea before the court in the coming days as formal proceedings commence. The transactions at the heart of the charges are central to an ongoing money laundering and terrorism financing trial of some Bauchi State Government officials, including the Commissioner for Finance, Yakubu Adamu, before the same court.
Timeline of Alleged Payments
The first count states that on 11 January 2022, Bodejo knowingly accepted $100,000 in physical currency from Sa'idu Abubakar, former Accountant-General of Bauchi State, who is currently in police custody. The commission said the cash exceeded the statutory threshold of N5 million under the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2011, and was not routed through a financial institution.
The second count alleges a similar transaction on 21 January 2022, when Bodejo received $200,000 cash from Abubakar. Another count states that on 20 March 2024, Bodejo received $500,000 from Abubakar, and on 7 February 2024, he took $980,000 cash from the same source. The EFCC asserts that Bodejo knew or ought to have known that the funds were proceeds of unlawful activity, specifically money laundering.
Connection to Ongoing Trial
On 30 December 2025, the EFCC charged Commissioner Yakubu Adamu and three civil servants—Balarabe Ilelah, Aminu Mohammed Bose, and Kabiru Mohammed—with terrorism financing and money laundering for funds released to Bodejo and others. The defendants allegedly released $2.33 million to Bodejo between January and May 2024, which was used partly or wholly to finance terrorism.
Judge Emeka Nwite initially denied bail to the defendants on 5 January, citing the gravity of the charges. However, on 21 January, Judge Mohammed Umar granted bail, reversing Nwite's decision. The case against Bodejo is separate but related, and it is unclear if it will be assigned to the same judge.
Background of Payments
In July 2024, Accountant-General Sa'idu Abubakar issued a memo to Governor Bala Mohammed seeking regularization of disbursements from January to July 2024, totaling nearly $17 million and N75.2 million. Bodejo, who has had previous run-ins with security agencies, reportedly spent about six months in detention in 2024 and faced terrorism charges that were later withdrawn.
The EFCC's charges against Bodejo carry penalties of at least four years imprisonment and fines of at least five times the value of the proceeds. The commission continues to investigate the suspicious financial dealings between Bodejo and the Bauchi State Government.
