Bello Bodejo, the National President of Miyetti Allah Kauta Kore, was arraigned at the Federal High Court in Abuja on Thursday to face charges related to an alleged $2.63 million money laundering scheme.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶

• In addition to money laundering, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has accused Bodejo of financing terrorism.

• Bodejo is the sole defendant named in the 12-count charge, which was filed in late June 2026.

Allegations and Plea

• The EFCC alleges that Bodejo accepted various large cash payments in U.S. dollars from Sa’idu Abubakar, including $100,000 in January 2022, $200,000 later that month, $980,000 in February 2024, and $500,000 in March 2024.

• The agency specifically charged Bodejo with willfully accepting these large cash payments without utilizing a financial institution, as mandated by law, and possessing funds suspected to be linked to unlawful activities.

• During the hearing before Justice Inyang Ekwo, Bodejo entered a plea of not guilty after the 12-count charge was read to him.

• Legal counsel for both the prosecution (Wahab Shittu, SAN) and the defense (Ahmed Raji, SAN) were present, with the defense offering no opposition to the plea proceedings.

FCT Minister Nyesom Wike stated during a monthly media chat in Abuja that he is unpopular among civil servants.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶

• He attributed this lack of popularity to his efforts to shut down channels for the fraudulent diversion of public funds, explaining that money previously misappropriated by staff is now being redirected toward road infrastructure.

Reasons for Friction

• The Minister criticized the habit of approving funds for unnecessary activities, such as traveling to conferences in the United States for land administration, suggesting that staff should instead conduct research locally.

• Wike highlighted a significant shift in budget management, noting that he reduced recurrent expenditure in favor of capital expenditure, moving from a system where recurrent spending accounted for 65 percent of the budget to one where capital projects now receive 70 percent of funding.

• He maintained that he will not approve large sums for “frivolous” conferences, choosing instead to prioritize infrastructure projects that provide tangible benefits to the public.

• Conclusively, Wike asserted that because he puts money into roads rather than funding these conferences—which he described as vehicles for corruption—he does not expect to be liked by the civil service workforce.

The Lagos State Special Offences Court, Ikeja, has officially admitted into evidence several extra-judicial statements attributed to former CBN Governor Godwin Emefiele.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶

• Justice Rahman Oshodi overruled objections from Emefiele’s legal team and ruled that a trial-within-trial was not required because the statements were not confessional in nature.

• The judge clarified that a statement only qualifies as confessional if it contains an “unequivocal admission” of the alleged crimes, which he found absent in these documents.

• Consequently, statements dated October 27, October 30, and November 11–13, 2023, were marked as exhibits.

• The trial is scheduled to resume on October 6–8 and November 11–13, 2026.

Case Background

• Godwin Emefiele is being tried alongside Henry Omoile on a 19-count charge related to corruption, abuse of office, and fraudulent property transactions involving approximately $4.5 billion and ₦2.8 billion.

• Henry Omoile faces an additional three-count charge for allegedly receiving unlawful gifts related to CBN transactions.

• Both defendants have entered a plea of not guilty.

• Emefiele’s defense counsel, Olalekan Ojo (SAN), had requested the rejection of the statements, claiming they were extracted through torture and oppression during the defendant’s time in DSS custody.

• In response, the prosecution, led by Rotimi Oyedepo (SAN), maintained that the statements were not confessional and that the defense lacked a legal basis for requesting a trial-within-trial.