Drama as Melaye surrenders to Police

AFTER eight days of a hide and seek game with the police, Senator Dino Melaye (Kogi West) yesterday gave himself up in Abuja. And in a dramatic fashion too.

The senator who apparently had locked himself up in his high brow Maitama, Abuja residence on sighting the police penultimate Friday, voluntarily threw the gate open for them yesterday to come in, and immediately fell down in front of the waiting police team.

He looked exhausted and had to be helped into a car that took him, in a long convoy to the police headquarters.

He had told The Cable by phone last week that he was out of town and that he would report to the police this week on returning from his trip.

The Police were not convinced that he was not in the house.

They vowed to keep surveillance there until he gave himself up which he did yesterday.

Prior to his opening the gate for the police, several of his fellow federal lawmakers had driven down to the house to see and accompany him to the Force Headquarters to honour the police invitation.

He was also helped out of the car at the police headquarters.

At a point, some men put an inhaler to his mouth to help him breathe well.

Sources attributed the fainting to possible asthma attack.

Not wanting to leave anything to chance, the police took him to an undisclosed hospital for proper treatment.

One of the sources said: “It is only someone who is alive that we can investigate. We need him to get well before we proceed with any investigation.”

The police said in a statement last night that Melaye was responding well to treatment.

In the statement, Police spokesman, Mr. Jimoh Moshood, said: “Senator Dino Melaye wanted by the Police for criminal conspiracy and attempted culpable homicide, committed on 19th July, 2018, when Senator Dino Melaye and his armed thugs attacked Police personnel, shot and wounded SGT Danjuma Saliu on stop and search duty along Aiyetoro Gbede, Mopa Road in Kogi State has surrendered to the Police Investigation Team on wait at his residence, today, 4th January, 2019 at about 1500hrs. “The Police Officer, Sgt. Danjuma Saliu, is yet to recover from the gunshot injury he sustained during the attack and still under intensive medical care in the hospital.

“The Police Investigation Team had since 28th December, 2018 at about 1000hrs arrived the residence of Senator Dino Melaye with a duly obtained Warrant of Arrest to effect his arrest to answer to a case of Criminal Conspiracy and Attempted Culpable Homicide against him under investigation in the Kogi State Police Command. Senator Dino Melaye on sighting the Police Team locked up himself in the building to evade arrest. “The Warrant of Arrest was obtained after Senator Dino Melaye refused to honour Police invitation dated 23rd July, 2018, signed by the Commissioner of Police, Kogi State Police Command addressed to the Clerk, National Assembly, Abuja, inviting Senator Dino Melaye to report on 26th July, 2018 at 1100Hrs at the Kogi State Police Command, CIID, Lokoja to answer to a case of Criminal Conspiracy and Attempted Culpable Homicide against him under investigation in the Kogi State Police Command. “The Police Investigation Team cordoned off the building and continued to be in wait for eight days for Senator Dino Melaye to obey the law and surrender himself for arrest.

“While the Police Investigation Team was waiting, Senator Dino Melaye granted an interview monitored on Television stations that he was not in Abuja. This claim eventually was discovered to be completely false as Senator Dino Melaye surrendered to the waiting Police Investigation Team today at his residence in Abuja at about 1500hrs.” The Police said Melaye was taken to Police hospital, Abuja for medical attention after his surrender and he was in stable condition. Moshood also revealed that investigation into the case of criminal conspiracy and attempted culpable homicide against him is ongoing adding that the case will be taken to court on completion of investigation.

Melaye’s surrender came after a court rejected his bid to make the police vacate his residence. He believes the Kogi state government is behind his ordeal. Ina statement last week, Melaye alleged “a deliberate attempt by the Kogi state government to kill me, to destroy me.” He added: “I have written the inspector-general of police (IGP). My international passport is with the Nigerian police, I have a court order that it should be released to me but the IG has refused to honour the court order.

“If the police that is supposed to maintain law and order cannot obey court order, how do they expect citizens to obey court orders? As I speak to you, my security detail has been withdrawn since April and it is all in a deliberate attempt to expose me, so that I will be killed and destroyed. “The same SARS from Kogi that shot at me are the same SARS in the photograph occupying my compound and 80 percent in mufti. I thought that recently that there was an instruction that SARS should wear uniform… I am in seven different courts and anyone that they will do will be number eight. I’m not afraid to be arraigned because my hands are clean and I know the God I serve will deliver me.”