Detained Miyetti Allah leader seeks bail over ‘grave ill health’

Bello Bodejo, leader of the Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore group, has asked a federal high court in Abuja to grant him bail.

Bodejo was arrested on January 23 at the Miyetti Allah office in Karu LGA of Nasarawa over the unveiling of a vigilante group in the state.

Bodejo said the “nomad vigilante group” would assist security agencies in combatting crime in the north-central state.

However, after his arrest and detention, Bodejo was arraigned on a three-count criminal charge over an alleged unlawful establishment of an ethnic militia group.

He pleaded not guilty to all the counts.

In the application filed on March 28, the Miyetti Allah leader asked the court to admit him to bail on liberal terms pending the hearing and determination of the case against him.

Bodejo said he has no criminal record, noting that he has “suffered grave ill health” as a result of his detention.

The defendant also submitted that he has a reputation that attests not only to his reliability and credibility but also to the fact that he will not jump bail if the application is granted.

He said the charge preferred against him did not disclose a prima facie case adding that he would not interfere with the investigation or further investigation of the allegation(s) against him.

But in a counter affidavit, Noma Wando, a litigation clerk in the department of public prosecutions, prayed the court to dismiss Bodejo’s bail plea.

Wando said Bodejo is standing trial for terrorism-related offences and participation in activities connected with acts prejudicial to national security and public safety.

He disagreed that Bodejo is suffering from any life-threatening health condition that could not be managed at the Defence Intelligence Agency (DIA) medical centre, Abuja.

He said that the DIA is a next-door neighbour to State House Medical Centre, Abuja “which boasts of the best of doctors and specialists and consultants”.

He said contrary to Bodejo’s averments, he was diagnosed with only high blood pressure which had since been “managed effectively and efficiently” by the centre.

At the court session on Wednesday, Sulaiman Usman, counsel who appeared for the defendant, told the court that they were not ready to proceed with the motion because the prosecution served them the counter affidavit the previous day.

The lawyer said they would need more time to respond to the new issues raised in the counter affidavit.

The prosecution lawyer, Y. A. Imana, did not oppose Usman’s plea for an adjournment.

Usman also made an oral application seeking an order for Bodejo to be granted access to his lawyers, which he said was required by law.

But Imana disagreed with Usman’s submission that Bodejo was not given access to his lawyers.

The prosecution lawyer said she was unaware of the allegation.

The lawyer said the defendant had been granted access to his doctor and that the defendant’s lawyer confirmed to her that he visited his client in custody.