SECURITY agents on Thursday night arrested Bello Bodejo, an aspirant for the Taraba Central Senatorial seat on the platform of the All Progressives Congress, in Jalingo, the Taraba State capital.
News Point Nigeria reports that Bodejo, who is also the president of Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore, had earlier arrived in Jalingo aboard a private jet through the Danbaba Suntai Airport at about 1:20 p.m.
He was reportedly received by thousands of supporters drawn from the five local government areas that make up the Taraba Central senatorial zone.
Speaking to this newspaper in a telephone interview, Bodejo’s personal aide, Umar, said the APC aspirant was arrested after visiting some security agencies’ offices alongside close political associates.
According to him, the arrest took place at one of the security offices shortly after Bodejo addressed supporters at the APC state secretariat in Jalingo.
Umar explained that the associates who accompanied him were immediately asked to leave while Bodejo was detained by the operatives.
“At the moment, we do not know where he has been taken to,” he said.
“The same security personnel that escorted and protected him from Abuja to Jalingo were the ones who later arrested him.
“We are yet to be informed of the reason for his arrest, and our major concern now is that we do not know where he is being detained,” Umar added.
Before his arrest, Bodejo had told journalists at the APC secretariat that he had purchased the senatorial nomination form to contest the election and would not step down for any aspirant.
He maintained that he remained fully committed to the race and would not succumb to pressure to withdraw his ambition.
“I am in this race to win, and nobody is going to force me to step down,” he declared.
The APC aspirant also disclosed that the consensus committee reportedly set up by Governor Agbu Kefas to engage aspirants across the three senatorial zones of the state had not 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,” Bodejo said.
This is not the first time the Miyetti Allah leader has been arrested.
In 2024, operatives of the Department of State Services arrested him over the alleged creation of a vigilante group in Nasarawa State.
At the time, Bodejo was arrested at the Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore head office located at Tundun Maliya Cattle Market, Kilometre 22, Abuja-Keffi Expressway, Tundun-Wada, Karu Local Government Area of Nasarawa State.
The DSS operatives, alongside soldiers of the Nigerian Army, were said to have stormed the organisation’s head office at about 3:40 p.m. before arresting him at the gate and driving away.
As of the time of filing this report, it remained unclear whether the latest arrest was politically motivated or related to security concerns.