Scores of armed policemen on Friday invaded the Abuja residence of the lawmaker representing Kogi West in the National Assembly, Senator Dino Melaye.
Scores of armed policemen on Friday invaded the Abuja residence of the lawmaker representing Kogi West in the National Assembly, Senator Dino Melaye. The invasion of Melaye’s mansion located at 11 Sangha Street, off Mississippi Avenue, Maitama, Abuja, took place just after midday. The policemen arrived at the house in six patrol vehicles and entered the compound after allegedly beating a private security guard for arguing with them.
According to the Senator’s younger brother, Moses, the policemen did not tender any search warrant or an arrest warrant before invading the compound. However, the Senator was not in his Abuja home. Melaye admitted this much in a telephone conversation. The lawmaker said the police had withdrawn his security aides, thereby exposing him to danger. He promised to make himself available for questioning by the police in Abuja if invited.
“I have written several letters to the Inspector-General of Police without any action taken. “My passport is right now with the police. I have a court order that says it should be released to me but that order was ignored by the police. The same SARS from Kogi State that shot at me are the same people that I saw in the photographs of those who invaded my compound today. I am a senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, I am not running away. If there is a formal invitation to me in Abuja here, not in Kogi, I will honour it.
“The police have so far arraigned me in seven courts over this issue. Any arraignment they are going to do now will be number eight. I am not afraid of being arraigned in any court because I know that my hands are clean. I have not committed any crime, atrocity and offence. I know my God that I serve will deliver me but I will never compromise,” he added.
But the spokesman for the police, Jimoh Moshood, in a statement said Melaye was needed for questioning over the alleged shooting of a policeman, Sgt. Danjuma Saliu, by his private guards while on official duties along Aiyetoro Gbede-Mopa road in Kogi State. He said the force had written the Clerk of the National Assembly for Melaye to report at Kogi State Police Command, Lokoja, to answer to the offences against him but he bluntly refused to report to the police. The force spokesman said the police would continue to wait at the lawmaker’s residence until he surrendered.
Melaye had alleged on Twitter on Friday that over 20 policemen who came in two Hilux trucks forcefully entered his compound to plant guns in his cars. Meanwhile, the Coalition of United Political Parties has described the raid on Melaye’s home by policemen as tyranny taken too far. In a statement released by the coalition, it said, “This move to arrest him is obviously not unconnected with the planned protest being allegedly anchored by Dino Melaye against the unconstitutional plot to extend the tenure of the Inspector-General of Police.”
Punch
