A Fulani Youth Association of Nigeria (FUYAN) has pleaded with President Bola Tinubu to free Bello Bodejo, the national president of Miyyeti Allah Kautel Hore, who is currently detained by the Nigerian military, immediately.
Muhammad Suleiman, who is also the publicity secretary of the Miyyeti Allah Kautel Hore and the convener of the Fulani Youth Association, told newsmen in Kano on Tuesday that Bello Bodejo’s continuing arrest is a violation of the constitution.
According to him, the Nigerian Army lacked the authority to hold anyone for more than 24 hours without bringing charges against them in court.
According to FUYAN, the suspension of our leader, Alhaji Abdullahi Bello Bodejo, violates the Nigerian constitution.
News reports indicate that the leader of Miyetti Allah was apprehended from his office in Tudun Wada, Karu LGA, Nasarawa State, and is currently detained at a facility of the Nigerian Army in the Asokoro region of the Federal Capital Territory.
It is against the law for the Nigerian Army to hold any civilian in custody. Citizens cannot be detained by anyone other than the police and the DSS. The length of time Alhaji Bodejo has been held is in violation of the law.
Our commander should be turned over to the police or the DSS by the Army, and they should be granted access to all relevant information. The Army is violating its constitutional obligation by engaging in this unlawful activity.
But Mr. Suleiman pleaded with the association’s members and Bello’s relatives to keep quiet and obey the law as they wait for their leader’s release.
The Fulani youth leader has warned that attorneys are getting interested in the case and has stated that the Nigerian Army’s continued imprisonment of Bello Bodejo without trial reeks of extreme impunity.
Bello Bodejo ought to be brought before an appropriate court if the Army possesses proof that he has committed a lawful offense. His constitutionally protected human rights would be violated by subjecting him to unlawful custody.
“The Nigerian security apparatus, known for its professionalism and respect for the rule of law, should show the proper protocol by releasing Abdullahi Bello Bodejo, president of the Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore, who is a law-abiding citizen of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, and allowing him to return home. His continued detention is unlawful and violates the constitution,” the statement reads in part.
Following public uproar, Bodejo was recently detained in connection with the launching of the Nomad Vigilante Group in Lafia, the capital of Nasarawa State, on January 17.
At the gathering in Lafia’s City Square, officials from the country’s conventional security services warned the gathering not to break any laws.
According to Bodejo, the group’s main goal is to promote peace in rural areas, assist in gathering information and intelligence for the Nigerian security authorities about local criminals and crimes, and ensure the livelihoods of farmers and herders.