Senator Dino Melaye hurts self as he jumps out of Polilce vehicle

SENATOR Dino Melaye, who was arrested Tuesday morning by operatives of the Nigeria Police drawn from its Special Anti-Robbery Squad, SARS, reportedly jumped out of the moving police vehicle while he was being taken to Lokoja in Kogi state. 

Dino Melaye jumped out of moving police vehicle conveying him to Lokoja. Sources said police gave him the impression that he was being taken to Kuje prisons but the vehicle made a detour and headed for Lokoja Dino Melaye in hospital Dino Melaye after injuring himself was taken to Zanklin Hospital in Abuja. 

Vanguard had reported that the police was to parade Melaye and other criminal suspects, among them the re-arrested suspects who had escaped from prison cell. The Deputy Force Public Relations Officer, Aremu Adediran, a Deputy Superintendent of Police, DSP was supposed carry out the parade assignment on behalf of his immediate boss, Jimoh Moshood, an Assistant Commissioner of Police, ACP, who is currently in China on a course.

 Our source said before being moved out into the waiting vehicle for onward journey to his home state, Melaye was handcuffed to avoid possible escape from the security operatives.

 Attempts for inquiry from the Force Headquarters’ deputy image maker were not successful as he refused to pick calls made to his known telephone lines. Also recall that the men of the Nigeria Police Force reportedly forcefully carried out the arrest of Melaye without arrest warrant or court order in the early hours of Tuesday. 

But the police in a statement on Tuesday said that  Senator Dino Melaye has surrendered himself to police to answer to criminal indictments levelled against him in a case of criminal conspiracy and unlawful possession of prohibited firearms, kidnapping, armed robbery, murder, political thuggery and other violent crimes in Kogi state. 

The Police statement signed by SP Aremu Adeniran Deputy force public relations officer Force headquarters reads thus ‘Senator Dino Melaye surrenders self to police to answer to criminal indictments levelled against him in a case of criminal conspiracy and unlawful possession of prohibited firearms, kidnapping, armed robbery, murder, political thuggery and other violent crimes in Kogi State ‘It would be recalled that working on actionable intelligence, the Kogi State Police Command personnel and Federal Special Anti-Robbery Squad trailed and arrested two suspects KABIRU SAIDU a.k.a OSAMA “31 YRS” and NUHU SALISU a.k.a SMALL “25 YRS” on the 19th January, 2018 at Ogojueje in Dekina Local Government Area of Kogi State. During investigation, they confessed to the various criminal roles they played in the commission of several kidnappings and armed robbery in different towns across Kogi State and its environs for which they have been on the wanted list of the Police for more than two years now. 

‘The gang leader KABIRU SAIDU a.k.a OSAMA revealed that he and his gang have been working as political thugs for one Alh. Mohammed Audu a Politician in the State and that Alh. Mohammed Audu invited him to Abuja and introduced him to Senator Dino Melaye and they met on Airport road, Abuja inside the Senator Dino Melaye’s Car in the month of December, 2017. 

‘He further revealed that Senator Dino Melaye handed over a bag containing one (1) AK47 rifle, two (2) Pump Action guns and the sum of four hundred and thirty thousand naira N430, 000.00 to share with his boys. ‘Consequent on this indictment on the Senator, The Nigeria Police Force, sent a letter of investigation activities/invitation dated and acknowledged on 2nd March, 2018 addressed to the Senate President, Federal Republic of Nigeria informing and requesting him to release Senator Dino Melaye to report to the Police on the 7th March, 2018 to answer to criminal offences of Conspiracy and Unlawful Possession of Prohibited Firearms levelled against him, and another separate letter was equally written in this regard, this was to enable the Police Investigation Team carryout a discreet and thorough investigation into the case. 

But Senator Dino Melaye refused to honour the Police invitations. ‘Sequel to his refusal to honour Police invitations, he was therefore watch listed through the Nigeria Police INTERPOL Office and in compliance to the INTERPOL’s “Watch List”, the officers of the Nigerian Immigration Service intercepted and collected his International Passport from him at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja. 

While this was on, he snatched the Passport from the officers at the Airport and bolted away to his house. 

‘In furtherance to this, the Police obtained a warrant of arrest and trailed him to his house at Maitama, Abuja and cordon off the place. He however surrendered himself to the Police this morning, 24th April, 2018 for investigation on the allegations against him. The Nigeria Police Force will continue to sustain the Rule of Law and maintain Law and Order throughout the Country.’ Details later…