Police still with Dino hours after “release”

Hours after indication emerged that the Senator representing Kogi West in the National Assembly, Dino Melaye has been released for the fulfilment of all his bail conditions, the Police has not allowed him to go home. According to a press statement signed by Muhammad M. Muhammad on behalf of Justice and Freedom Watch, a human rights group, the Police is playing hide and seek game and are yet to comply with the bail order handed down by Justice Jusuf Halilu of the FCT High Court on Friday last week. “Despite the order of the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) in Maitama on Friday 18, January 2019 which granted bail to Sen Dino Melaye, Kogi West, we wish to intimate Nigerians and indeed the world that Nigerian Police is yet to comply with the court order which stipulates his release. “The court judgment as obtained granting Sen Dino Melaye is clear and explicit enough for Nigerian police to understand and comply with. We consider this ploy by the Nigerian police as an affront, disturbing and insult to the nation’s judicial system and rule of law. “As we speak, Nigerian police authority have seen and received the court order, instead of them to comply, some actors behind the Melaye’s ordeal are pressurizing the police to confront and disrespect the judiciary. “This is unacceptable in a democratic setting, where police is expected to observe, respect and protect the rights of every citizen,” the statement said. Continuing, the statement recalled the process that led to the court order, adding that the court was explicit that the senator should be allowed to go and attend to his medical need. “It could be recalled that Justice Yusuf Halilu of Maitama high court, Abuja who gave the bail order following the application by counsel to Sen Melaye, Chief Mike Ozekhome (SAN), the presiding judge noted that Sen Dino Melaye must be healthy to stand trial. He said since the Senator cannot be arraigned on the stretcher or on hospital bed, he should be allowed on bail to attend to his health and subsequently gave the order. “On the hide seek attempts by the Nigerian police to molest court orders at will and particularly in the case of Sen Dino Melaye, we call on other civil society organizations, Nigerian media, Nigerian Bar Association, (NBA) all democratic partners and Nigerians from all strata to rise up once again and defend the constitution of Federal Republic of Nigeria from attempt to by Nigerian police to shred it,” the statement concluded. Bonaventure Melah