Justice Inyang Edem Ekwo of the Federal High Court in Abuja has fixed May 30 for ruling in a bail application filed by the leader of the Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore, Bello Bodejo.
The Miyetti Allah leader had been in detention of the Defence Intelligence Agency (DIA) for sometime now and will remain in custody till about a month further till his motion for bail is determined.
Bodejo was accused of unlawfully establishing an ethnic militia group, Kungiya Zaman Lafiya to promote terrorism and has been in the custody of the DIA in Abuja.
He was arraigned in March on a three-count charge filed by the office of the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF), in which he was accused of violating the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022. He pleaded not guilty to the charge.
In his argument on the motion for bail yesterday, Bodejo’s lawyer, Ahmed Raji, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), pleaded with Justice Ekwo to admit his client to bail on various grounds ranging from ill health to fundamental rights.
He asked the court for “an order admitting the defendant to bail on liberal terms pending the hearing and determination of the charges preferred against him.”
The senior lawyer predicated the bail request on the ground that Bodejo “suffers from grave ill-health and that the offences are bailable.”
Citing Section 36 of the Nigerian constitution, Raji said his client is presumed innocent until proven guilty adding that the charge against Bodejo did not disclose any crime against him.
Contrary to the government’s assertions, Raji informed the court that launching of the group by his client was done in a public place with Police Commissioner and personnel of other security agencies as well as Nasarawa State government officials in attendance.
In an affidavit deposed to by Mohammed Musa, a brother to Mr Bodejo, in support of the bail bid, he said the Miyetti Allah leader who was arrested by DIA personnel on 23 January, has “been denied access to his lawyers, family members, friends and well-wishers.”
Musa described Bodejo as a “patriotic Nigerian citizen who goes about his business within the ambit of the laws of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”
The deponent further said that Bodejo “neither established nor has any involvement with the ethnic militia group as alleged in the charge against him.”
He said the essence of establishing the vigilante company was to provide security services to the members of the society and not to commit any act of terrorism as alleged.
However, the federal government, through its lawyer, Y.A. Imana, urged the court to reject Bodejo’s bail application on the ground that charges against the defendant borders on threat to national security.
After taking arguments from the two parties, Justice Ekwo fixed 30th May for ruling in the bail application.
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