How Gov Sule pushed me to establish militia group, Miyetti Allah leader confesses to investigators

Bello Bodejo, the president of Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore, has stated that Abdullahi Sule, the governor of Nasarawa State, was responsible for the formation of Kungiya Zaman Lafiya, an ethnic paramilitary organization.

Bodejo, who is facing terrorism charges, accused the governor of pressurising him to form the militia group.

The Miyetti Allah leader was arrested by operatives of the Defence Intelligence Agency on January 23, 2024, at the group’s office in the Karu Local Government Area of Nasarawa State for allegedly unveiling a militia group and has been in custody since then.

He was arraigned before Justice Inyang Ekwo of the Federal High Court in Abuja on three counts of terrorism on March 22, 2024.

Bodejo was specifically accused of establishing the Kungiya Zaman Lafiya ethnic militia in Nasarawa State without authorisation.

The offence was said to be punishable under Section 29 of the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.

However, in his confessional statement exclusively obtained by Sunday PUNCH, Bodejo alleged that the Nasarawa State governor was behind the formation of the militia group.

He stated that he received a call from the governor earlier in the year expressing his desire to establish a vigilante group different from those of his counterparts.

Bodejo said, “I was arrested because of the vigilantes I paraded in Nasarawa State. Sometime in early January 2024, Governor Sule called me and said that he wanted me to see him concerning a Fulani group called Kungiya Zaman Lafiya, which I told him I didn’t know about. The governor said what he called me for was because all the governors had agreed to form vigilante groups in their states like Katsina State had done, but he did not want to organise his like other state governors.

“He said he wanted to use all those who participated in the political rally before the election. And he intended to link them with the Army and they would work for him as vigilantes. The governor asked if I could work with Akajo, the leader of the group and I told him that I couldn’t come down to work with Akajo because I am from the national level. Later, I called Akajo to meet me and we discussed how to operate the Kungiya Zaman Lafiya in the state. I told the Emir of Lafia that people complained about the group and I didn’t like them.

“However, I asked Akajo about the number of his men. He said there were about 700 men. I demanded for their ID cards which he showed me; the ID cards were authorised and signed by the CSO to the Nasarawa State governor. About two weeks later, Governor A. A. Sule called me to come with Akajo.”

Bodejo stated that he met with Akajo and Sule at the Governor’s Lodge in Abuja.

He said despite informing the governor of the negative narratives about Akajo’s group, he insisted that he (Bodejo) worked with him.

Bodejo said, “So, I left Bauchi and sent for Akajo to meet me at the Governor’s Lodge. When I got to the lodge, I met Akajo with the governor. The governor enquired what was happening between me and Akajo. I told him that Akajo and his group were spoiling the good name of the governor by causing crises, stealing cattle, and killing people.

“They went and cleared the Toto LGA problem. When they got there, they gathered Fulani and harassed them. The Fulani ran away, leaving the cattle. Akajo and his group gathered the cattle and sold them. The governor insisted that I should work with him.”

The Miyetti Allah leader claimed that other people from the Nasarawa, Obi, and Kyana local government areas of the state who were meant to join Akajo’s group pulled out because Akajo failed to give them their share of the fund released by the governor.

He said, “I told the governor that I requested for the group’s list from Akajo so that I could join it with my people to make up the 2,000 and that he had not given me. The governor said we should have a meeting in Lafia. During the meeting, I told the Ardos what the governor wanted to do with the Kuniya Zaman Lafiya and they bought the idea. During the meeting, one member of the Kunya Zaman Lafiya complained that they were not benefiting from anything. I immediately called the governor to inform him.

“The governor affirmed that all funds were released to Akajo for the group, so it was Akajo who failed to settle them. On this revelation, the people were angered and the people from Nasarawa, Obi, and Kyana LGAs said they could not join Akajo’s group. The governor instructed that I should make do with the existing 700 members of the Akajo group and if possible I should make it up to 1,000.”

Bodejo added that after the meeting, he met with one of his friends, Captain Ahmed Chiroma (retd.), who advised him to make the establishment of the group legal.

According to him, Chiroma made a write-up, which they both presented to the governor.

Bodejo claimed that when the governor was presented with the write-up, he rejected it.

He said, “After the meeting, I met one of my friends, Captain Ahmed Chiroma (retd.), who is the deputy secretary of the Presidential Think Tank and explained everything to him. Captain advised that I make it legal; he said he would put a write-up for the governor, which he did, and the two of us went to present it to the governor. I don’t know what he wrote but after the governor read the paper, he said no that he wanted to run the state the way he wanted.”

Bodejo said the governor then instructed him to meet with the Secretary to the State Government to discuss the cost of procuring kits for 1,000 members of the group.

The Miyetti Allah leader said Chiroma advised him to be careful as the establishment of the group was illegal.

He added, “The governor said I should meet the SSG and tell him the cost of procuring 1,000 uniforms and kits. Chiroma advised me to be careful with the governor because what he was doing was illegal. That is number one; the governor can’t just carry one tribe of Fulani as vigilantes, and secondly, he can’t carry one as security. He did not build schools for them, just this security vigilante group.”

Bodejo said the governor called him the following day to inquire about the arrangements put in place for the establishment of the group, adding he pleaded with Sule to give him two weeks.