From Agaju Madugba, Katsina
The Arewa Centre for Peace and Development says it may drag the Nigerian Army to court over what it described as “unlawful detention” of the Miyetti Ala Kutai President, Abdullah Bello, “without appropriate legal trial for over two weeks.
The group in a press statement in Katsina on Tuesday said that the continued detention of the leader of herders in Nigeria was capable of heating up the polity.
The group’s Executive Director, Abubakar Aminu Birchi, who signed the statement, said that, ”the recent arrest and continued detention of the President of Miyetti Ala Kutai, Abdullah Bello Bodejo, of Fulani extraction by the Army is unacceptable.
“And, we have observed with keen interest the unacceptable treatment being meted out to Northern Nigeria by the APC-led government which may unduly heat up the polity.
”Bodejo has been held for over two weeks without any reasonable explanation from the Army or Defense Headquarters.
“We at the Centre call on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the Military authorities to as a matter of urgency release, Dr. Bodejo or hand him over the appropriate legal authorities or security agencies.
“Just because he launched a Nomadic vigilance group in Nasarawa and he had the intention of forming it in all states of the federation, should not warrant his detention by the Army.
“We may have no choice but to sue the Military authorities if Dr. Bodejo is further held without trial.”
The Myetti Ala leader was reportedly arrested on January 23.