By CHARLES CHIJIOKE
Operatives of Nigeria’s Department of State Services (DSS) have arrested the President of Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore, Bello Bodejo, barely hours after he publicly declared his intention to contest for the Taraba Central Senatorial seat under the platform of the All Progressives Congress.
Bodejo was reportedly arrested Thursday night in Jalingo, the Taraba State capital, shortly after meeting with security officials following his arrival in the state earlier in the day aboard a private jet at the Danbaba Suntai Airport.
According to reports by Sahara Reporters, the Miyetti Allah leader had been received by a large crowd of supporters drawn from the five local government areas that make up the Taraba Central Senatorial District.
His aide, Umar, disclosed that Bodejo was detained after visiting some security agencies alongside close political associates shortly after addressing supporters at the APC secretariat in Jalingo.
“At the moment, we do not know where he has been taken to,” Umar said.
“The same security personnel that escorted and protected him from Abuja to Jalingo were the ones who later arrested him,” he added.
He further expressed concern over the uncertainty surrounding the location of detention and the reason for the arrest.
Before his arrest, Bodejo had openly declared that he had already purchased the APC senatorial nomination form and would not bow to pressure from any political bloc or consensus arrangement.
“I am in this race to win, and nobody is going to force me to step down,” Bodejo reportedly declared while addressing journalists at the APC secretariat.
He also dismissed claims surrounding a consensus committee allegedly constituted by Taraba State Governor, Agbu Kefas, insisting that no one from the panel had contacted him.
“The consensus committee set up by the governor has not contacted me, and let me make it clear that I will not step down for anybody, no matter the pressure,” he said.
The development has triggered political speculation in Taraba, especially given the timing of the arrest, which came almost immediately after his senatorial declaration.
Although authorities are yet to officially state the reason for the arrest, the incident is already fueling debate over whether the move is connected to political tensions within the APC in Taraba or linked to previous security concerns surrounding the Miyetti Allah leader.
This is not the first time Bodejo has been detained by security operatives. In 2024, DSS personnel arrested him in Nasarawa State over allegations tied to the formation of a vigilante outfit. At the time, operatives reportedly stormed the Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore headquarters at the Tundun Maliya Cattle Market along the Abuja-Keffi Expressway and whisked him away.
The latest arrest could further deepen controversy around the intersection of security operations and political participation ahead of the 2027 political cycle, particularly in northern Nigeria where competition for senatorial seats is intensifying.
As of the time of filing this report, the DSS had yet to release an official statement on the arrest or Bodejo’s whereabouts.
