Nigerian Senator, Dino Melaye has described as preposterous and laughable, the allegations by the police that he hired two political thugs and armed them to cause mayhem in Kogi State.
The police in Lokoja today said they have charged the senator with
illegal possession of firearms in a case filed in a Lokoja court on 16
March.
Charged along with the senator were another politician, Muhammed
Audu , said to be on the run and two other ‘deadly’ persons linked with a
spate of kidnapping and robbery.
One of the two suspects was identified as a 31 year-old Kabiru
Saidu, a.k.a Osama. The other was Nuhu Salisu, who is 25 years-old.
The duo were arrested in January. Police claimed they had confessed that they were also working as thugs for Senator Melaye.
“Fabricated lies by Kogi State Govt and the police will fail.
It’s utterly laughable and preposterous. It’s a sign of desperation”, the embattled Senator tweeted today.
“No amount of lies and blackmail will detract my attention from speaking the truth and defending it”, he said.
Melaye also claimed that the withdrawal of police from VIPs,
announced by the Inspector General of Police, Ibrahim Idris, was
targeted at him.
“I am the target. IG wants to expose me so I can be killed.
Having survived assassination attempt twice, I deserve police protection
in a country where I’m a tax payer”, he wrote.
At a press conference in Lokoja today, the police spokesman Jimoh
Moshood, said the police seized from the thugs and their gang members,
two AK47 rifles, five pump action guns, two locally made pistols and
heaps of charms.
According to the police, the men not only confessed to have been
involved in several kidnappings in the state and environs, they also
claimed to be hired thugs for politicians.
“According to the gang leader, Osama, he has been working as a
political thug for one Alhaji Mohammed Audu a Politician in the State.
”He said Alhaji Mohammed Audu invited him to Abuja and
introduced him to Senator Dino Melaye and they met on Airport road,
Abuja inside the Senator Dino Melaye’s Car in the month of December,
2017.
“The suspect further confessed that Sen. Dino Melaye told him
that they should start working for the Senator as his political thugs
and they should recruit and train more other(sic) thugs to work for him
in preparation toward 2019 General election to enable him (Sen. Dino
Melaye) challenge his political opponents and disorganised Kogi State.”
The police said Osama further confessed that Melaye handed over a
bag containing one AK47 rifle, two Pump Action guns and the N430,000.00
to share with his boys.
“Consequent on the indictments and criminal confessions against
Senator Dino Melaye by the principal suspect KABIRU SAIDU a.k.a OSAMA
“31 YRS”, Nigeria Police Force, wrote a letter dated 2nd of March, 2018
addressed to the Senate President, Federal Republic of Nigeria informing
and requesting him to release Senator Dino Melaye to report to
Commissioner of Police, Kogi State Command on the 7th March, 2018 to
answer to criminal offences levelled against him, to enable the Police
carry out a discreet investigation into the confessions of the principal
suspect against Senator Dino Melaye. But Senator Dino Melaye have
refused to honour the Police invitation till date.
“A case of Criminal Conspiracy and unlawful possession of
prohibited firearms have therefore been filed by the Nigeria Police
Force at Federal High Court Lokoja on 16th March, 2018 against the two
suspects mentioned above, Senator Dino Melaye and Alh. Mohammed Audu who
is also a suspect in the matter and is now on the run.”
-NAN