Barely 12 hours after touching down in Taraba State to announce his senatorial ambition, the President of Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore, Bello Bodejo, has been taken into custody by operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS).
The arrest occurred late Thursday in Jalingo, the state capital, shortly after Bodejo formally declared his intention to run for the Taraba Central Senatorial District under the banner of the All Progressives Congress (APC).Bodejo had arrived in Taraba earlier that day aboard a private jet, landing at the Danbaba Suntai Airport around 1:20 p.m. to a warm reception from hundreds of supporters who had gathered from the five local government areas that constitute the senatorial district.
According to a close aide, Umar, the Miyetti Allah leader had visited the offices of several security agencies alongside political associates before the DSS moved in.
The arrest reportedly happened inside one of those facilities, shortly after Bodejo addressed a gathering at the APC state secretariat.Umar revealed that security operatives immediately ordered his companions to leave the premises while Bodejo was detained.
He expressed confusion over the sudden turn of events, noting that the same personnel who had escorted and safeguarded Bodejo from Abuja to Jalingo were the ones who ultimately arrested him.”We have no idea where they have taken him,” Umar said. “No reason has been given for his arrest, and our greatest concern right now is that his whereabouts remain unknown.
“Just hours before his detention, Bodejo had confidently told journalists at the APC secretariat that he had purchased his nomination form and was fully committed to the race.
He dismissed any possibility of stepping down, stating that neither the governor’s consensus committee nor any other aspirant would pressure him into withdrawing.”I am in this race to win,” he had declared emphatically.This is not the first run-in with the DSS for the pastoral group leader.
In 2024, he was similarly arrested over allegations of forming a vigilante group in Nasarawa State.
As of Friday morning, the DSS has not issued any official statement clarifying whether Bodejo’s latest arrest is linked to his new political aspiration or an ongoing security investigation.
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