Melaye, police drama continues as senator lands in hospital

The ongoing drama between the Nigeria Police and Senator Dino Melaye (APC, Kogi West) continued on Tuesday as the federal lawmaker surrendered to the police and later reportedly hospitalised at Zankali a Hospital in Utako district, Abuja.

The hospital ambulance was said to have brought Melaye to the hospital at about 4:25pm, and was admitted into the emergency unit of the hospital with injuries he sustained in a bid to escape from police moving vehicle.

The Daily Times gathered that the Senator was reportedly being led to court by the policemen on Tuesday afternoon when he attempted to escape.

It was gathered that the police vehicle carrying Melaye turned to an undisclosed road around Area 1, Abuja, allegedly taking him to Kogi, his home state.

But Melaye was said to have immediately jumped out of the vehicle, sustaining injuries in the process.

A man simply identified as Peter who claimed he followed the ambulance that conveyed the senator to the hospital, said he witnessed the “drama” leading to the injury.

Peter said: “I was there at Area 1 when the police vehicle stopped somewhere and amid the confusion, there were shouts of ‘shoot him, shoot him’.

“He has been saying it that they want to take his life and we can see that now. Yesterday (Monday), about 100 policemen were in his house.

They were there till this morning. When he came out, he told them ‘okay, I’m going to go with you people to the police station.’

That he is not a criminal and that they don’t even have any arrest warrant on him. But he followed them.

“It was later this afternoon, while he was being taken to court, around that Area 1, the crowd had gathered and the police officers were there with him. I don’t know if he was pushed out of the vehicle or not but amid the confusion, they later moved him from there.”

Melaye has been having a running battle with the police lately following the arrest of two suspects, Kabiru Saidu a.k.a Osama (31) and Nuhu Salisu a.k.a Small (25) on January 19, 2018 at Ogojueje in Dekina Local Government Area of Kogi State who claimed to work as a political thug for one Alhaji Mohammed Audu a politician in the State.

The suspect, according to the police, also stated that investigation revealed that Alh. Mohammed Audu invited the suspect to Abuja and introduced him to Senator Dino Melaye who they met along the Airport Road, Abuja inside the Senator Dino Melaye’s car in the month of December, 2017.

The police also said that” Senator Dino Melaye handed over a bag containing one (1) AK-47 rifle, two (2) Pump Action guns and the sum of N430, 000.00 to share with his boys.”

Based on the information, the police had severally sought to arrest Senator Melaye and even declared him a wanted person.

Security operatives had on Monday prevented Melaye from traveling to Morocco at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja while policemen later laid siege to his residence in Abuja.

A statement issued on Tuesday afternoon by the Deputy Public Relations Officer, SP Aremu Adeniran confirmed Senator Melaye has reported to Force headquarters having surrounded himself for interrogation.

Meanwhile, spokesman of the Nigeria Police Force, Jimoh Moshood, on Tuesday led about 30 armed policemen to Zankili Medical Center, Mabushi, Abuja, where Dino Melaye is being treated.

There was tension in the hospital policemen were said to have arrested two persons, a man and a woman said to be members of staff for an unknown offence.

The road leading to the hospital was barricaded by the gun-wielding security operatives.