Department of State Services has denied being in custody of Miyetti Allah’s President, Bello Bodejo, who was arrested by soldiers and DSS operatives on Tuesday.
DSS’ spokesperson, Peter Afunanya, said this in a WhatsApp message sent to journalists.
“Bello Bodejo is not with the DSS,” Afunanya simply wrote.
Meanwhile, the Nigerian Army’s spokesperson, Brig. Gen. Onyema Nwachukwu, said he could not confirm Bodejo’s arrest by soldiers of the Nigerian Army.
“I don’t have the information about his arrest,” Nwachukwu said.
Earlier, the National Secretary, Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore, Saleh Al-Hassan, confirmed the arrest of the association’s President, Bodejo, by soldiers of the Nigerian Army and operatives of the DSS.
Al-Hassan disclosed the development in an exclusive telephone interview with Punch correspondent on Tuesday.
DSS operatives and soldiers on Tuesday reportedly stormed the Miyetti Allah’s Head Office, Tundun Maliya Cattle Market Kilometre 22, Abuja-Keffi Expressway, Tundun-Wada, Karu Local Government Area of Nasarawa State, and arrested Bodejo, over the creation of a vigilante group in Nasarawa State.
However, the National Secretary, claimed that the Miyetti Allah’s President’s arrest was not in connection with the recent creation of the nomad’s vigilante group.
Al-Hassan said, “Yes, our national President has been arrested. It was soldiers of the Nigerian Army and DSS operatives who came here and took him away. But the DSS has always been here, and the soldiers are his friends. I think it’s the soldiers who invited him to make some clarifications, but when I get the details, I’ll inform you.
“However, I can categorically tell you that his arrest was not in connection with the creation of the Miyetti Allah vigilante group. We created the group for security purposes, and the police, DSS, and Army were all informed and they knew about it. In fact, a representative of the Nigerian Army and the DSS were present when we launched the group, and we also informed the Commissioner of Police.”
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