Tension is mounting in Taraba State following the alleged arrest of Abdullahi Bello Bodejo by individuals suspected to be operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS).
Bodejo, who is seeking to contest the Taraba Central Senatorial seat in the 2027 general elections, was reportedly arrested on Thursday evening shortly after meeting with supporters in Jalingo, the Taraba State capital.
The Miyetti Allah leader was said to have received a large turnout of supporters from the six local government areas that make up the senatorial district during his visit to the state.
The alleged arrest has since triggered political reactions and concern among supporters and members of his campaign organisation.
Reacting to the development, the Abdullahi Bello Bodejo Central Zone Senatorial Campaign Council condemned the incident, describing it as politically motivated and an attempt to frustrate democratic participation ahead of the 2027 elections.
In a statement issued in Jalingo on Saturday, the Director-General of the campaign council, Adamu Isa Kurmi, claimed that Bodejo was arrested shortly after visiting the All Progressives Congress state secretariat as part of ongoing political consultations connected to his senatorial ambition.
According to the statement, the alleged arrest took place at about 6:30 pm at the Blue Nile Hotel in Jalingo, where plain-clothes operatives suspected to be DSS personnel reportedly took him away to an undisclosed location.
“The campaign council views this development as a violation of the aspirant’s fundamental rights and an act of intimidation against his planned consultations with party leaders and supporters across Taraba Central Senatorial District,” the statement read.
The council further alleged that the massive crowd that accompanied Bodejo from the Jalingo airport through major parts of the city to the APC secretariat may have unsettled political rivals within the state.
According to the organisation, Bodejo had fulfilled all legal and political requirements related to his senatorial aspiration, including the purchase and submission of his nomination and expression of interest forms.
The campaign council also stated that security agencies had been formally notified ahead of the visit and that acknowledgement copies of the notifications were duly received.
Supporters were, however, urged to remain calm, peaceful, and law-abiding despite the development.
The statement added that Bodejo’s legal team had already commenced efforts aimed at securing his release.
As of the time this report was filed, neither the Department of State Services nor other security agencies had issued an official statement confirming or denying the alleged arrest.
