Tension is mounting in Taraba state following the alleged arrest of the President of Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore, Abdullahi Bello Bodejo, by suspected operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS).

Bodejo, who is reportedly aspiring to represent Taraba Central Senatorial District in the Senate in 2027, was said to have been arrested on Thursday evening shortly after addressing supporters in Jalingo.

Supporters of the Miyetti Allah leader, drawn from the six local government areas that make up the senatorial district, had reportedly gathered in large numbers to receive him during his visit to the state capital.

Condemning the development, the Abdullahi Bello Bodejo Central Zone Senatorial Campaign Council described the arrest as “unfortunate” and alleged that it was politically motivated.

In a statement issued weekend in Jalingo by the Director-General of the campaign council, Alhaji Adamu Isa Kurmi, the organisation claimed that Bodejo was apprehended shortly after visiting the All Progressives Congress (APC) state secretariat as part of consultations linked to his senatorial ambition.

According to the statement, Bodejo and members of his entourage were allegedly taken from the Blue Nile Hotel in Jalingo at about 6:30 p.m. by plain clothed operatives suspected to be DSS personnel and moved 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 leadership and supporters across Taraba Central Senatorial District,” the statement read.

The council further alleged that the massive turnout of supporters who accompanied Bodejo from the Jalingo airport through major parts of the city to the APC secretariat may have unsettled political opponents.

It maintained that the aspirant had complied with all necessary legal and political procedures relating to his senatorial ambition, including the purchase and submission of nomination and expression of interest forms.

The campaign council also stated that relevant security agencies in the state had been formally notified ahead of the visit and that acknowledgment copies of the notification were obtained.

While urging supporters to remain calm and law-abiding, the council disclosed that Bodejo’s legal team had commenced efforts to secure his release so he could continue political consultations ahead of the 2027 general elections.

As of the time of filing this report, neither the DSS nor any other security agency had issued an official statement regarding the alleged arrest or Bodejo’s whereabouts.