Accused of Taking $2.5 Million in Cash from Bauchi State Government; Did It Fund Fulani Ethnic Militia That Killed Thousands?
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) is set to arraign prominent Fulani cattle-herding magnate Bello Abdullahi Bodejo before a Federal High Court in Abuja on allegations of terrorism financing and money laundering involving $2.5 million in illicit cash, according to Nigerian media reports.
Bodejo, a controversial figure and President of Miyetti Allah Cattle Herders Association, was previously arrested in January of 2024 and charged with creating an ethnic militia and with giving material support to Fulani ethnic terrorists. Months later the charges were dropped, to the surprise of many, Leadership Newspaper reported.
The Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN) and Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore were listed in a proposed U.S. Congressional resolution that urged visa bans and asset freezes against it under the Global Magnitsky Act.
US Rep. Christopher Smith, New Jersey Republican, introduced a bill in November, 2025, stating that Islamic terror organisations have carried out mass murder, rape, and kidnappings against mostly Christians and non-Fulani moderate Muslim populations, as reported by Premium Times.
Bodejo faces a 12-count charge filed by the EFCC on Monday, June 22, 2026. The charges paint a picture of a man who operated as a high-level conduit for massive cash flows suspected to fuel terrorism across Nigeria.
Cash Drops from a Custody-Linked Source
Court documents reveal a pattern of brazen cash transactions that blatantly violated Nigeria’s anti-money laundering laws. Among the damning counts:
On or about January 11, 2022, Bodejo allegedly accepted $100,000 in physical US dollars from Sa’idu Abubakar, the embattled former Accountant-General of Bauchi State (now in police custody)
Just ten days later, on January 21, 2022, another $200,000 cash payment from the same source allegedly landed in Bodejo’s hands. By March 20, 2024, authorities claim he received $500,000 in raw cash. The largest single haul allegedly occurred on February 7, 2024, when Bodejo took possession of a shocking $980,000 in physical currency from Abubakar.
These transactions repeatedly exceeded the statutory cash threshold of ₦5 million without being routed through any financial institution, in clear contravention of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2011 (as amended) and the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.
Additional counts accuse Bodejo of knowingly possessing proceeds of unlawful activity, with prosecutors asserting he either knew or reasonably ought to have known the funds were tainted. The alleged offences carry heavy penalties under multiple sections of the anti-laundering statutes.
The EFCC’s move comes as Sa’idu Abubakar, the alleged source of the funds, remains in police custody raising serious questions about the ultimate origins of this money and who else in the Bauchi and broader Fulani power structure may be implicated.
Political Connections Under Scrutiny
According to the EFCC Bodejo has close ties to Bauchi Governor Bala Mohammed.
The EFCC has indicated that Bodejo will be formally arraigned in the coming days, with further investigations expected to peel back additional layers of this murky financial terror web.
Find here the Economic financial crime commission report:
The arraignment of Bello Abdullahi Bodejo has intensified debates along ethnic and political lines in Nigeria. While defenders portrayed him as a victim of selective prosecution and a contributor to security efforts, critics view the charges as evidence of deeper systemic links between Islamist networks, public funds, and terrorism financing. The case continued to unfold with further court proceedings and investigations expected.
Suleman Ayuba is a conflict reporter for TruthNigeria.
