PDP kicks as police continue siege to Melaye’s home

THE Police yesterday said they will continue their siege to the Abuja home of Senator Dino Melaye until he surrenders himself.

Some operatives were at the weekend deployed to arrest the Kogi West senator, who the police alleged failed to honour their invitation.

The police spoke as the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) cautioned the President Muhammadu Buhari administration against turning the country into a police state.

In a statement, the main opposition party’s spokesman, Kola Ologbondiyan, decried the way and manner key opponents of President Buhari in next year’s election were being treated like enemies of the state.

But the the Police said Melaye was invited  to answer to a case of attempted culpable homicide on the shooting of an officer, Sgt Danjuma Saliu, attached to 37 Police Mobile Force (PMF) while on duty at a stop and search point on Aiyetoro Gbede, Mopa Road in Kogi State.

According to the police, the offence was committed by Melaye and his armed thugs in Kogi State on the 19th July, 2018 when they shot and wounded Saliu.

The police also noted that the officer has not recovered from the gunshot injury he sustained during the attack and still under intensive medical care.

Police spokesman Jimoh Moshood, an Acting Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) had, in a statement at the weekend said: “Police investigators have written the Clerk of the National Assembly for Senator Dino Melaye to report at Kogi State Police Command, CIID, Lokoja for him to answer to these offences against him under investigation in Kogi State Police Command but he has bluntly refused to report himself to the Police.

“The offence for which Senator Dino Melaye is being investigated is capital in nature and not compoundable. The Force will not tolerate attack on his personnel by any individual no matter how highly placed. The law must take its course.”

Three days after the siege, Senator Melaye took to his Twitter handle @dino_melaye on Sunday to decry the continuous siege to his residence.

The senator, who stated in the tweet that he would not run away from the country, also alleged that the police cut off his light and water supply.

The tweet reads: “To God alone be the glory. I shall not die but live. Nigeria is my only country; I cannot and will not run away because of frivolous lies and charges. We all own this country and justice must reign. I will never be afraid of him who can only kill and injure the flesh and not the spirit.

“Nigerians can drive or walk through my street to confirm Moshood Jimoh’s lies. Water and light cut off for 3days now. These guys are so dishonourable. God help Nigeria. We shall overcome.”

Moshood, however, denied cutting off water and power supply into the senator’s house.

“We are neither plumbers nor electricians, how do we cut off water and light? He claimed not to be at home, how did he know that they cut water and light? We did not cut the water, nor light because we are neither electricians nor plumbers. We are only there to enforce the law, so let him surrender himself.

The PDP decried what it cried police lockdown on Melaye’s residence.

Ologbondiyan said in the statement: “The continued siege, which has been widely condemned as unwarranted and provocative, shows that the police under President Buhari, has become an instrument of oppression to subjugate dissenting voices ahead of the 2019 general election.