The Federal High Court in Abuja has directed the Federal Government to file charges against Bello Bodejo, the President of Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore, within a week. This order from Justice Inyang Ekwo comes after the expiration of a prior directive allowing the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) to detain Bodejo for 15 days in the custody of the National Intelligence Agency (NIA).
The AGF had sought this detention order through a motion ex-parte filed on February 5, 2024, by M.B. Abubakar, the Director of Public Prosecutions.
The motion aimed to have Bodejo remanded during the investigation and until his subsequent court appearance. Bodejo, arrested on January 23 at Miyetti Allah’s office in Nasarawa State, is accused of establishing an armed militia, allegedly breaching the nation’s unity as outlined in the constitution of Nigeria.
During the Thursday court session, F.N. Umoh, the representative for the AGF, informed the court that Bodejo’s statement had been received from the NIA. Due to administrative procedures, charges could not be filed as directed by the court, leading to a request for a later date for the arraignment. Justice Ekwo granted the request, setting March 1 as the date for Bodejo’s arraignment.