Miyetti Allah leader seeks unconditional release, court to hear motion
By Jeffrey Agbo
A Federal High Court in Abuja has fixed March 13 to hear the motion filed by Bello Bodejo, the detained leader of a group of herders Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore, seeking his unconditional release from the custody of the Defence Intelligence Agency (NIA).
Justice Inyang Ekwo fixed the date following the Federal Government’s failure to produce Bodejo in court for arraignment after the expiration of the seven-day order directing the FG to file charges against him.
When the matter was called on Tuesday, Bodejo was not in court.
AGF’s counsel, Y.A. Imana, told the court that though the matter was slated for arraignment, she said the investigating agency was yet to send Bodejo’s file to her office.
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“This matter is slated for arraignment. Unfortunately, up till now, due to some problems the investigating agencies are encountering, they have not been able to send the file to us,” she said.
Justice Ekwo then asked her what the problem was.
Responding, Imana said from the last date of adjournment, her office had written three letters to the investigating agency to send the duplicate case file to them but due to the complexity of the nature of the investigation, they were yet to avail them with the file.
But Bodejo’s lawyer, Mohammed Sheriff, told the court efforts were unsuccessfully made to have his client released to them pending his arraignment.
Justice Ekwo, therefore, said that since the prosecution had been given a date to be heard but they were not ready, the Miyetti Allah leader would equally be given a date to be heard.
In the motion on notice, Sheriff sought an order directing the “Federal Republic of Nigeria to release the defendant/applicant unconditionally or upon any condition as may be given by this honourable court pending his arraignment or trial before a court of competent jurisdiction.”
