An association under the auspices of the Fulani Youth Association of Nigeria (FUYAN) has described the continued detention of Alhaji Abdullahi Bello Bodejo, the president of the Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore, a Fulani sociocultural organisation in the country, by the Nigerian Army as an act of illegalities, calling for his immediate release
This was just as the group said, “The Nigerian Army is not empowered by our laws to detain any citizen. The police and the DSS are the only ones with the power to detain a citizen. Keeping Alhaji Bodejo for this long period is illegal.
Making this known on Tuesday in Kano, while addressing a press conference by the group’s national publicity secretary, Ambassador Mohammed Tasiu Suleiman, FUYAN, said that the Army has no constitutional power to detain any person beyond 24 hours and called on President Bola Tinubu to intervene and order his immediate release. ‘
He therefore stated, “The Army should hand over our leader to the police or the DSS and grant them records of whatever they are investigating. By this illegal act, the Army is going outside its constitutional duty.”
We call on the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, to, as a matter of urgency, order the immediate release of Bello Bodejo,” he said
According to FUYAN,’ the Miyetti Allah Leader was picked up at his office in Tudun Wada, Karu LGA of Nasarawa State, and is being held at the facility of the Nigerian Army in the Asokoro area of the Federal Capital Territory.
He added that “the Army should hand over our leader to the police or the DSS and grant them records of whatever they are investigating. By this illegal act, the Army is going outside its constitutional duty.”
“We call on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, as a matter of urgency, to order the immediate release of Bello Bodejo.
He noted that “if the Army has any evidence against Bello Bodejo for committing an offence known to the law, he should be arraigned before a competent court.
“Subjecting him to illegal detention is an infringement on his fundamental human rights as enshrined in the constitution.”
“The Nigerian Army had no constitutional power to detain any person beyond 24 hours without charging him/her to court.
“Therefore, the detention of our leader, Alhaji Abdullahi Bello Bodejo, is alien to the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria,” FUYAN stated.
Mr Suleiman, however, appealed to the members of the association and kinsmen to remain calm and law-abiding as they await the release of their leader.
The continued detention of Bello Bodejo by the Nigerian Army without trial, the Fulani youth leader said, was a smack of impunity of the highest order, and their lawyers are warming up to this matter.
“The Nigerian security apparatus, which is known for its professionalism and respect for the rule of law, should demonstrate the etiquettes known to it by granting the President of the Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore, Alhaji Abdullahi Bello Bodejo, his constitutional rights as a law-abiding citizen of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and should be allowed to go home as his continuous detention is illegal and unconstitutional,” the statement reads further.
The group recalled that Badejo was arrested recently in connection with the inauguration of the Nomad Vigilante Group in Lafia, Nasarawa State’s capital, on January 17 following a public outcry.
He further disclosed that its leader was picked up at an event held at City Square in Lafia, where representatives of the country’s conventional security agencies were in attendance and admonished the group to operate within the existing laws.
Suleiman, however, disclosed that the primary objective of the group is to help secure the livelihoods of farmers and herders, aid in information gathering and intelligence for the Nigerian security agencies about criminals and criminalities within the local communities, and encourage peace in rural communities.
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