Illegal Vigilante: Court Orders FG To Try Miyetti Allah Leader

In a recent ruling, the Federal High Court in Abuja mandated the federal government to press formal charges against the leader of the Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore, Bello Bodejo, within a week.

This directive from Justice Inyang Ekwo came after the expiration of an initial order that allowed the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) to detain Bodejo for 15 days at the National Intelligence Agency (NIA) for investigative purposes.

The request for Bodejo’s remand, outlined in a motion ex-parte filed on February 5 by Mohammed Abubakar, the Director of Public Prosecutions, was granted as part of the AGF’s efforts to keep Bodejo in custody pending the completion of an ongoing investigation and his subsequent arraignment.

Bodejo’s arrest on January 23 from the Miyetti Allah office in Karu Local Government Area, Nasarawa State, was sparked by the organization’s announcement of a new vigilante group, as reported by the Daily Post.

The move led to concerns and accusations of Bodejo allegedly orchestrating an armed militia, which poses a threat to national unity and contradicts the Federal Republic of Nigeria’s constitution.

According to an affidavit by Noma Wando, a litigation officer at the Ministry of Justice, the allegations against Bodejo fall under the Terrorism Prevention and Prohibition Act, 2022, warranting a thorough investigation into the matter.

During the latest court session, F.N. Umoh, representing the AGF, revealed that the NIA had only recently submitted Bodejo’s statement to the minister’s office, resulting in a delay in filing the anticipated charges.

Consequently, the ministry sought an extension, prompting Justice Ekwo to set a new seven-day deadline for the federal government to take legal action against the Miyetti Allah leader.