- The FCT High Court ordered the AGF and DSS to produce Bello Bodejo for a hearing regarding his fundamental rights application
- Bodejo was arrested on December 10 by the Nigerian Army following an incident involving herders and a retired army general
The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court has directed the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) and the Department of State Services (DSS) to present Bello Bodejo, the President of Miyetti Allah Kautal Kore, before the court.
Justice Mohammed Zubairu issued the order on Tuesday, mandating that Bodejo be produced on Monday, December 30, for a hearing on his application to enforce fundamental rights.
Bodejo’s counsel, Reuben Atabo (SAN), applied, citing sections 33, 34, and 36 of the Nigerian Constitution. He also referenced Order 47 of the court rules to argue for his client’s release.
Atabo requested the court’s permission to apply for a writ of Habeas Corpus Subjiciendum to determine the legality of Bodejo’s detention by security operatives.
Bodejo was reportedly arrested on December 10 at his office in Maliya, Nasarawa State, by officers of the Nigerian Army’s 117 Battalion.
The arrest followed a December 8 incident between herders and a retired army general, after which herders disarmed the general and handed him over to the police.
Earlier in the year, Bodejo faced terrorism charges after establishing a security outfit to promote peace between herders and farmers.
The DSS detained him on accusations of unlawfully forming an ethnic militia, the 1,144-member Kungiya Zaman Lafiya, in Nasarawa State. The group’s activities allegedly violated the Terrorism Prevention Act of 2011.
In May, the Defence Intelligence Agency (DIA) released Bodejo after the AGF withdrew the charges. However, his recent arrest has reignited legal disputes concerning his actions and detention.
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