By Chijioke Kingsley
Abuja (Sundiata Post) – The President of Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore, Bello Bodejo has denied involvement in the establishment of an ethnic militia group, Kungiya Zaman Lafiya.
He made the denial through his brother, Mohammed Musa, in an affidavit in support of his bail application dated March 28, 2024.
Musa said his brother only had a registered vigilante company that offered security services to the members of the society and promoted peace.
He said, “That the Defendant/Applicant neither established nor has any involvement with the Kungiya Zaman Lafiya ethnic militia group as alleged in the charge preferred against him on the 12th March 2024.
“The Defendant/Applicant only established a vigilante company which was duly registered under the Companies and Allied Matters Act, 2020 as Nomad Vigilante Nigeria Limited as opposed to an ethnic militia known as Kungiya Zaman Lafiya as alleged by the Complainant in the charge preferred against the Defendant/Applicant.
“That the aim of establishing the vigilante company is to render security services to the members of the society and promote peace but not to commit any act of terrorism whatsoever.”
In a counter affidavit dated April 02, and deposed to by a litigation clerk in the Department of Public Prosecutions, Federal Ministry of Justice, Noma Ganau Wando, the Federal Government urged the court to dismiss the bail application brought by Bodejo.
The government noted that that, contrary to Bodejo’s claim, he was not suffering any life-threatening illness.
The government also argued that Bodejo would not attend trial if granted bail.
“That all the facts deposed to by the deponent about ill health and heart failure amongst others in the affidavit brought before this Honourable Court have not been proven to be cogent, credible, material or genuine to support his application to enable the Court to exercise its discretion in his favor.
“That the Defendant/Applicant will not show up for his trial if granted bail due to the gravity of the alleged offences and the severity of punishment prescribed by law,” parts of the counter affidavit read.
Bodejo was arrested on January 23, 2024 at the Miyetti Allah’s office in Karu LGA of Nasarawa State for allegedly unveiling a militia group.
The Miyetti Allah leader was arraigned before Justice Inyang Ekwo of the Federal High Court in Abuja on three counts of terrorism on March 22, 2024.
At the hearing on his bail application on Wednesday, the counsel for the defendant, Dr Sulaiman Usman, SAN, sought an adjournment, adding that the Federal Government in its counter-affidavit raised fresh issues they would need to respond to.
The prosecution lawyer, Y. A Imana, did not oppose Usman’s plea for an adjournment.
Usman made an oral application to the court for an order directing the DIA to grant Bodejo access to his lawyers.
He added the defendant needed access to his lawyers as well as adequate time to prepare for his trial.
Usman said, “We urge your lordship to order the DIA to grant the defendant access to his lawyers. He needs to be prepared for the trial.”
But Imana disagreed with Usman that Bodejo was denied access to his lawyers.
She said, “I don’t agree with him. After the last time that court ordered that he should be given medical attention and lawyers, we wrote them and the feedback we got was that the counsel had visited him.”
Responding to the submissions, Justice Ekwo ordered, “Report to the court at any time you are denied access to him.”
