Marcus Fatunmole (Abuja).
Masked police operatives whisked off Senator representing Kogi West, Dino Melaye, from a private hospital facility where he was receiving treatment on Friday.
Kaftan Post gathered from sources close to the lawmaker that the officers arrived at the facility around noon, moved him into an unmarked vehicle and drove him to unknown location.
The sources, who pleaded anonymity, said the lawmaker could be taken to Kogi state to stand trial.
It could be the second time the lawmaker would be taken to his state to face trial over alleged criminal offences in less than nine months.
He is accused by the police of sponsoring thugs who shot a policeman on duty at Ayetoro Gbede, the lawmaker’s hometown.
After evading police arrest in his Maitama mansion for eight days, Melaye surrendered to the police on Friday January, 4, after counsels from his lawyer and party stalwarts who visited him in the house surrounded by the police.
Melaye is unarguably the only top politician whose hunting, arrests and prosecution by the nation’s police attracted the most interesting dramas, intrigues and reportage in 2018. At least, the police invaded his home three times that year.
Among others, he is standing trials in at least two different courts over attempted suicide, homicide and possession of illegal weapons.
He was charged by the police on Thursday May 3,2018 at Senior Magistrate Court 2, Lokoja, over criminal conspiracy and unlawful possession of firearm. He had been granted bail a day before by an Abuja Magistrate Court, after being arraigned for attempted suicide and escape from lawful custody.
The lawmaker had on April 24, 2018, jumped out of a moving police vehicle, conveying him to Lokoja for trial.
He was kept at the National Hospital, Abuja, for treatment for days after he was moved from a private health facility in the city, shortly after he jumped off the police vehicle.
After locking himself up for a week, Melaye, who is seeking re-election on platform of the Peoples Democratic Party,PDP, against the All Progressives Congress,APC candidate, Smart Adeyemi, a former senator he defeated in 2015, came out of his house and handed himself to the police on Friday.
Some of his party’s stalwarts who were with him when he surrendered include senator representing Nasarawa North, Philip Gyunka; Senator representing Kogi North, Atai Aidoko-Ali, and member representing Asalga/Akulga Federal constituency, River State, at the House of Representatives, Boma Goodhead. His lawyer, Mike Ozekhome, was also present.
He slumped when he was taken to the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Intelligence Response Squad (IRT) and has since been hospitalized.
The police, in a statement by its spokesperson, Jimoh Moshood, had issued a statement stating the reason the lawmaker’s house was being invaded.
“The Police operatives currently in the residence of Senator Dino Melaye are to effect his arrest to answer to the case of attempted culpable homicide on the shooting of a Police Officer, Sgt Danjuma Saliu, attached to 37 Police Mobile Force (PMF) while on duty at a stop and search point along Aiyetoro Gbede, Mopa Road in Kogi state.”
“The above offence was committed by Senator Dino Melaye and his armed thugs in Kogi State on the 19th July, 2018 when they shot and wounded a police officer, Sgt Danjuma Saliu, attached to 37 Police Mobile Force (PMF) while on duty at a stop and search point along Aiyetoro Gbede, Mopa Road in Kogi state.”
“The Police Officer is yet to recover from the gunshot injury he sustained during the attack and still under intensive medical care,” the police had said.
