society
Miyetti Allah leader Refutes Criminal Records
Miyetti Allah leader Refutes Criminal Records
The President of Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore, Bello Bodejo, who is facing terrorism charges, has urged the court to release him on bail, saying he has no criminal records.
Bodejo, who is being prosecuted before the Federal High Court in Abuja, also denied any involvement in the establishment of an ethnic militia group, Kungiya Zaman Lafiya.
He stated this 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 society and promoted peace.
He said, “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.
“The aim of establishing the vigilante company is to render security services to the members of society and promote peace but not to commit any act of terrorism whatsoever.”
In a counter-affidavit dated April 2, 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 Bodejo’s bail application.
Wando also contended that contrary to Bodejo’s claim, he was not suffering a life-threatening illness.
Wando also said the defendant would not attend trial if granted bail.
He said, “All the facts deposed to by the deponent about ill health and heart failure, among 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 favour.
“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.”
Bodejo was arrested on January 23 at the Miyetti Allah’s office in the Karu Local Government Area 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, his counsel, Dr. Sulaiman Usman (SAN), sought an adjournment, stating that the Federal Government, in its counter-affidavit, raised fresh issues he 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 for an order directing the Defence Intelligence Agency to grant Bodejo access to his lawyers.
He told the court that his client 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 the prosecutor, in response, maintained that Bodejo had not been 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.”
From Giant to Beggar: The Tragic Collapse of Nigeria Under APC Rule
By George Omagbemi Sylvester
Once hailed as the “Giant of Africa,” Nigeria now limps on broken legs — economically battered, politically rudderless, and morally bankrupt. It is no longer just the brain drain that should worry us; it is the soul drain. Nigerians — students, professionals, entire families — are fleeing not just to Europe or North America, but to Ghana, a nation we once dismissed as “small brother.” This is not just ironic. It is humiliating. And it is a direct consequence of the All Progressives Congress (APC) taking power in 2015.
The APC’s takeover, starting with President Muhammadu Buhari in 2015, marked the beginning of a free-fall. What followed was a decade of despair, capped now by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu — another APC patriarch — who has inherited and worsened the crisis. The result? Every airport terminal has become a departure lounge for the talented, the young, and the fed up.
A Decade of Despair: From Buhari
Politics
Pro-democracy group tells Tinubu to declare a state of emergency in Zamfara over insecurity, political repression
Pro-democracy group tells Tinubu to declare a state of emergency in Zamfara over insecurity, political repression
The United Democratic Coalition (UDC) has called on President Bola Tinubu to immediately declare a state of emergency in Zamfara, citing worsening insecurity and a breakdown of democratic order in the state.
The demand was contained in a statement on Friday signed by Abdulrahman Danladi, president of the coalition.
Danladi described Zamfara as “a state under siege,” accusing the state government of abandoning its constitutional duty to protect lives and uphold democratic principles.
“The situation in Zamfara has gone from troubling to terrifying. Armed groups operate freely, citizens are at the mercy of bandits, and yet those elected to speak up are being silenced,” the statement read.
He was referring to the recent suspension of 10 lawmakers in the Zamfara State House of Assembly, whom he said were punished for raising concerns about insecurity and illegal mining in their constituencies.
“What we are witnessing is not just lawlessness — it is executive tyranny. These lawmakers were elected by the people and have a duty to speak out. Instead of listening to them, the state assembly, clearly acting on orders, has shut them down,” Danladi said.
He likened the political tension in Zamfara to the recent situation in Rivers state, where Governor Siminalayi Fubara governed with just four lawmakers after a split in the House of Assembly — a scenario that prompted calls for federal intervention.
“If Rivers with four lawmakers sparked talks of emergency rule, how is Zamfara with 10 suspended lawmakers and spiraling violence, not a national concern?” Danladi asked.
“The same standard must apply. Democracy is being murdered in Zamfara in broad daylight. If the federal government could consider intervening in Rivers, it must not turn a blind eye to the breakdown in Zamfara.”
“We are calling for a six-month state of emergency in Zamfara to allow security forces to take control, restore peace, and return the state to constitutional order.”
The group also demanded the immediate reinstatement of the suspended lawmakers and an investigation into what it called “executive interference” in the legislature.
“This is not the time for political correctness. It is the time for leadership. The people of Zamfara are under siege — both by bandits and by those who should be protecting them,” the statement added.
Zamfara, one of Nigeria’s most troubled states, continues to face persistent attacks from armed groups, with thousands displaced and dozens killed in the past year alone.
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