Bello Bodejo, the president of Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore, was apprehended and imprison by the Nigerian Army, according to his family.
His brother, Suleiman Waziri, said in a statement that officials from the 117 Battalion made the arrest, which happened on Tuesday, December 10, at Bodejo’s office in Maliya, Nasarawa State.
According to Waziri, the arrest is related to an incident that happened in Tudun Wada, Karu Local Government Area, involving herders and a retired Army General. On December 8, 2024, the retired general allegedly opened fire on a herd of cattle, inflicting casualties on the herders, who disarmed him and called the authorities.
“My brother’s only involvement in this matter arose when relatives of the herders approached him earlier on the morning of 9th December 2024, pleading for his intervention as a respected leader to help secure the release of their confiscated cattle,” Waziri explained. He further described Bodejo’s detention as unjust and devoid of any evidence linking him to the Tudun Wada events.
The commanding officer of the 117 Battalion has reportedly blocked the family’s and legal representatives’ attempts to meet with Bodejo. “Permission to see him could only come from above,” Waziri quoted.
The Chief of Army Staff and other officials have been urged by Waziri to guarantee Bodejo’s unconditional and prompt release. He urged a comprehensive and unbiased investigation into the Tudun Wada event to guarantee justice for all parties, saying, “No evidence has been presented linking him to any wrongdoing.”
Bodejo has previously been the target of legal issues. He was detained in January for starting a vigilante organization in Nasarawa State under the name Miyetti Allah. He was charged with organizing an ethnic militia, but in May, the Attorney General’s office dropped the case, clearing him of any terrorism-related accusations.
Regarding the arrest, the Nigerian Army has not yet issued an official announcement.