Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore has made a fresh appeal to President Bola Tinubu to intervene in the continued detention of its national president, Abdullahi Bello-Bodejo, following his reported re-arrest by the Department of State Services (DSS).
The appeal came after Bodejo was reportedly picked up by DSS operatives on August 28, shortly after the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) released him from custody upon the perfection of his bail conditions.
The association’s North-Central chairman, Idris Gidado-Bebeji, made the appeal yesterday at a press conference in Karu, Nasarawa State.
He called on Tinubu, National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu, Attorney-General of the Federation Lateef Fagbemi, APC leaders and relevant security agencies to urgently review the circumstances surrounding Bodejo’s continued detention.
Gidado-Bebeji said the development had caused serious concern among Bodejo’s family, associates and supporters, insisting that the association was not asking security agencies to abandon any lawful investigation.
Rather, he urged the authorities to ensure that any further detention was backed by law and that due process was followed.
How the drama started
Bodejo is currently standing trial before the Federal High Court in Abuja in an EFCC money-laundering case involving about $2.33 million.
The EFCC alleges, among other things, that he received large cash payments, including $100,000 and $980,000, without routing the transactions through a financial institution as required by law. Bodejo has pleaded not guilty to the charges.
Justice Inyang Ekwo granted him bail on July 20 in the sum of N2 billion, with two sureties in like sum and other conditions.
After the conditions were reportedly perfected, Bodejo was released from EFCC custody on August 28 — only for DSS operatives to allegedly take him away again as he left the commission’s headquarters.
The reported re-arrest has triggered fresh controversy, with his family and supporters questioning why he remained in detention after the court had granted him bail.
Gidado-Bebeji appealed to the authorities to either disclose any fresh lawful grounds for holding Bodejo or release him.
He also described Bodejo as a prominent pastoralist leader and an APC member who supported the Tinubu-Shettima ticket in the 2023 presidential election.
Meanwhile, the Network for Advocacy of Positive Impact Initiative, a coalition of civil society organisations, has also demanded Bodejo’s release.
Its Executive Director, William Bassey, described the alleged DSS action as an “arrest by proxy” and urged the security agency to release Bodejo if there were no fresh lawful grounds for his detention.
The group cited constitutional provisions protecting the rights to dignity, personal liberty and fair hearing, while stressing that its position was not intended to obstruct any legitimate investigation.
Miyetti Allah also appealed for calm among its members, urging them to pursue the matter through dialogue and constitutional means.
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