Some Fulani herdsmen on Wednesday caused a bit of an unrest at the Federal High Court in Abuja as they staged a protest demanding the freedom of the detained President of Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore, Bello Bodejo....CONTINUE READING
The protest ensued just after the federal government filed terrorism charges against Bello in compliance with last week’s Federal High Court order.
Most worrisome, the Fulani herdsmen said if they are pushed to the wall, President Bola Tinubu’s government is prone to destabilization by their radical brothers.
“Tinubu should release our leader Bello Badejo peacefully and unconditionally because if the Fulani herdsmen are pushed to the wall, we don’t know what our radical brothers might do to your government” – the aggrieved Fulani herdsmen said.
Watch Video Of The Herdsmen Speaking Below
Meanwhile, in the terrorism charges dated March 12, Bodejo was accused of undermining the national security of Nigeria by establishing and arming an ethnic militia group without authorization.
Part of the charges read: “That you, Bello Bodejo, Male, Adult, on or before the 17th Day of January, 2024, at Lafia, Nasarawa State, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, committed to commit an offence to wit: you established an ethnic militia known as Kungiya Zaman Lafiya without authorization and thereby committed an act prejudicial to national security and public safety, an offence punishable under Section 29 of the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.”
Recall that operatives of the Department of State Services arrested Bodejo over the creation of a vigilante group in Nasarawa State.
Bodejo was arrested on a Tuesday at the Miyetti Allah’s Head Office, Tundun Maliya Cattle Market, Kilometre 22, Abuja-Keffi Expressway, Tundun-Wada, Karu Local Government Area of Nasarawa State.
The DSS operatives alongside some soldiers of the Nigerian Army, were said to have stormed the Miyetti Allah’s Head Office close to Goshen Church, at about 3:40 pm, as they drove off after arresting Bodejo at the gate.
The Attorney General of the Federation, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), filed a motion ex parte on February 5 seeking to remand Bodejo pending the conclusion of the investigation by DIA and his arraignment in court.
Justice Inyang Edem Ekwo of the Federal High Court in Abuja had, upon the ex parte application, ordered that Bodejo be remanded for 15 days.
At the expiration of the 15 days on February 22, the judge gave the Federal Government seven days to file a charge against Bodejo.
At yesterday’s proceedings, the Defence Intelligence Agency (DIA) in Abuja declined to produce the detained President of Miyetti Allah before the Federal High Court for arraignment but filed terrorism charges against him.
