Nasarawa Gov pressurised me to set up militia group - Miyetti Allah leader

Embattled President of Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore, Bello Bodejo, has alleged that Nasarawa State Governor, Abdullahi Sule, was the mastermind of the ethnic militia group Kungiya Zaman Lafiya he established.

Bodejo has been cooling his heels in the custody of the Defence Intelligence Agency (DIA) since his arrest on January 23, 2024, for allegedly unveiling a militia group in Nasarawa State.

He was later arraigned before Justice Inyang Ekwo of the Federal High Court in Abuja on March 22, 2024.

The Miyetti Allah President is standing trial for a three-count charge bordering on terrorism. He was specifically accused of establishing the Kungiya Zaman Lafiya ethnic militia in Nasarawa State without authorisation.

The offence was said to be punishable under Section 29 of the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.

However, Bodejo has informed investigators that he was pressurised by Governor Sule to form the militia group.

In his confessional statement obtained by Sunday PUNCH, the Miyetti Allah President detailed how he allegedly received a call from the Nasarawa State Governor earlier in the year, expressing his desire to establish a vigilante group different from those of his counterparts.

Bodejo said, “I was arrested because of the vigilantes I paraded in Nasarawa State. Sometime in early January 2024, Governor Sule called me and said that he wanted me to see him concerning a Fulani group called Kungiya Zaman Lafiya, which I told him I didn’t know about.

"The governor said what he called me for was because all the governors had agreed to form vigilante groups in their states like Katsina State had done, but he did not want to organise his like other state governors.

“He said he wanted to use all those who participated in the political rally before the election. And he intended to link them with the Army and they would work for him as vigilantes.

"The governor asked if I could work with Akajo, the leader of the group and I told him that I couldn’t come down to work with Akajo because I am from the national level. Later, I called Akajo to meet me and we discussed how to operate the Kungiya Zaman Lafiya in the state. I told the Emir of Lafia that people complained about the group and I didn’t like them.

“However, I asked Akajo about the number of his men. He said there were about 700 men. I demanded for their ID cards which he showed me; the ID cards were authorised and signed by the CSO to the Nasarawa State governor. About two weeks later, Governor A. A. Sule called me to come with Akajo.”

He disclosed that he met with Akajo and Sule at the Governor's Lodge in Abuja, adding that despite informing the latter of the negatives about Akajo's group, he insisted that he (Bodejo) worked with him.

“So, I left Bauchi and sent for Akajo to meet me at the Governor’s Lodge. When I got to the lodge, I met Akajo with the governor. The governor enquired what was happening between me and Akajo. I told him that Akajo and his group were spoiling the good name of the governor by causing crises, stealing cattle, and killing people.

“They went and cleared the Toto LGA problem. When they got there, they gathered Fulani and harassed them. The Fulani ran away, leaving the cattle. Akajo and his group gathered the cattle and sold them. The governor insisted that I should work with him,” the Miyetti Allah narrated.