Melaye Accuses Police of Complicity in Assassination Plot Petitions IG, UN, Others
Senator Dino Melaye, representing Kogi West in the
Senate, at the weekend accused the Nigerian police of complicity in an alleged plot allegedly
orchestrated by his political enemies to have him murdered.
This is as he petitioned the Inspector General of
Police (IG), Mr. Ibrahim Idris; the United Nations, Amnesty International,
Human Rights Watch and the Ambassadors of United States, Germany, Britain and
Canada to Nigeria, to save him from willful, intentional harassment, oppression
and political victimisation.
Melaye, in a statement, refuted reports that he had
fled Nigeria to avoid appearing at the police headquarters over charges of gun
running levelled against him by some suspects recently paraded by the Kogi
State Police Command.
He accused the police of openly taking sides in his
ongoing battle with the Kogi State Governor, Mr. Yahya Bello.
According, “For the avoidance of doubt, I have not
received any court summon either in person or by proxy in my house or office
for me to appear on March 28 as being insinuated by the police regarding the
latest allegation against me.
“Last Monday’s stage-managed parade of crime
suspects in Lokoja by the Force Public Relations Officer, Mr. Jimoh Moshood,
where a suspect was tutored to implicate me is just a continuation and expansion
of the police attempt to have me arrested at all cost and ultimately kill me.
“It is worrisome that the Police headquarters has
got itself entangled in the Kogi political crisis and has taken side. It is
however bizarre and unprecedented that the FPRO, Moshood, will have to travel
to Lokoja last Monday in order to act a script written by the state governor. A
discerning mind will ask how many times has Moshood traveled to Sokoto, Enugu
or Lagos to parade suspects on behalf of a Police Commissioner?”
The petition to the police IG written by his
lawyers, Messrs Ricky Tarfa and Co, called for investigations into the
allegations of gun running levelled against Melaye by the police command, and
the state government.
"The fact that our client is now the one
alleged to be a gunrunner by the police in Kogi State is therefore extremely
suspicious and with all due respect, smacks of a set up.
"Sir, we call for your urgent intervention in
this matter. As we have stated, our client, convinced of his innocence, is
ready to submit himself for investigation and to answer any charge against his
person by by police officers of whose neutrality he has confidence in this matter-police
officers from Abuja.
"Our client, being a prominent serving senator,
will not and cannot run away from justice, but balks at being delivered
directly into the hands of people who have made public threats against his
person. We anxiously await your
intervention sir to secure the life of our client and to avoid any breakdown of
law and order,” the petition read.
In the petition to the UN and other foreign bodies
signed by Melaye, he sought intervention to ensure the protection of his fundamental
human rights.
“As things stand, I live each day in
constant and reasonable fear for my life, looking over my shoulders and being
harassed by the named politicians. The police are a willing tool in the hands
of these politicians.
"I am a law-abiding citizen who voluntarily
submitted myself before the FCT high court to answer to charges which I know
are unsustainable.
"However, the situation I am in right now
gives me reason to believe that the law enforcement agencies, particularly the
police, are in cohorts with my political enemies, and can even go to the extent
of terminating my life extra-judicially,” Melaye added.
Meanwhile, the Kogi State Government yesterday said
as far as they are concerned, they have no problem with Melaye. The Director General of Media and Publicity
to the state governor, Mr. Kingsley
Fanwo, made this known while reacting to Melaye’s allegations that the police
and state government wanted to kill him.
According to him, it was the police that sent him
invitation for questioning based on their investigations.
Fanwo said: "He should face the issue and
leave the state governor out of the issues surrounding his face-off with the police.
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