The president of Miyetti Allah, Kautal Bello Bodejo, has reportedly been detained by the Nigerian army. The Miyetti Allah leader was taken into custody on Tuesday, December 10, according to a statement released by Bodejo’s family. The president of Miyetti Allah’s brother, Suleiman Waziri, claims that members of the Nigerian Army’s 117th Battalion.
Miyetti Allah Kautal president Bello Bodejo’s family is protesting his arrest and incarceration by the Nigerian Army. On Tuesday, December 10, officers from the Nigerian Army’s 117 Battalion arrested Bodejo at his workplace in Maliya, Nasarawa state, according to his brother Suleiman Waziri.
According to reports, the arrest is related to an incident that happened in the Tudun Wada neighborhood of Nasarawa involving some herders and a retired army general. A retired general allegedly shot at a herd of cattle on December 8, 2024, resulting in large losses for the herders.
After disarming the general, the herders informed the police, according to the Cable. According to Waziri, his brother was arrested for trying to help obtain the return of animals that had been seized, not because he was involved in the incident.
The arrest, according to Waziri, was “unlawful” and a “grave injustice.” Citing the absence of proof connecting Bodejo to any misconduct, he is urging the military authorities to free him. In order to establish the facts and guarantee justice for all parties, Waziri also asks that the 117 Battalion allow his legal representatives to visit Bodejo and conduct a comprehensive inquiry.
Bodejo has previously encountered the law. He was detained on January 23 after revealing a vigilante organization, which the federal government claimed he was using to organize an armed militia. On the other hand, the court dismissed Bodejo’s alleged terrorist indictment on May 29.
The family’s worries over Bodejo’s imprisonment serve as a reminder of the continuous hostilities between the Nigerian government and herders. It will be interesting to observe how the military authorities react to Waziri’s demands for his brother’s release as events develop.
As previously reported, the head of Miyetti Allah, who has been detained since March, has claimed that Nasarawa State Governor Abdullahi Sule was the driving force behind the paramilitary group’s formation.
In a confession, Bello Bodejo, the beleaguered head of the Miyetti Allah, claimed that the governor had summoned him to create a group distinct from those in other states. For creating the Kungiya Zaman Lafiya ethnic militia organization in Nasarawa state without permission, Bodejo was taken into custody in January 2024.