My Attackers Were Sent by Governor, Alleges Melaye

The embattled Senator representing Kogi West senatorial district at the National Assembly, Dino Melaye, has alleged that he was attacked by men he claimed to have been sent by the Kogi State Government.

This allegation was contained in a statement issued and made available to journalists on Sunday by his Special Assistant on Media, Mr. Gideon Ayodele, in Lokoja.

According to him, “Two out of the Ebira boys who attacked him in Kabba last Saturday were send by Kogi State Government but were arrested by the police but later granted bail following the intervention of the state apparatus."

He stated that his superlative outing at the occasion had angered the state governor and his entourage, alleging also that the thugs invaded his constituency office in Kabba shooting sporadically, apparently with the belief that he was at the building to inaugurate the facility.

However, the state Governor, Alhaji Yahaya Bello, in his swift reaction, said he took a proactive step to avert an impending chaos that would have resulted in the loss of lives and property at the annual celebration of Kabba Day.

A statement issued yesterday by the Chief Press Secretary to the governor, Mrs. Petra Akinti Onyegbule, noted that the governor’s inability to make a scheduled appearance at the Kabba Day was to prevent the possible insurrection that might have disrupted the peace at the event.

According to the statement,  "The alleged attack on Melaye by some aggrieved Kogi west youths would have been worsened if the governor was present at the event, but as the father of the state, the governor decided to stay off to avert further violence.

 "As the chief security officer of the state whose job is to ensure the protection and safety of lives and property of the citizens, Bello is committed to making sure that the onerous task of ensuring the safety of the entire citizens was never compromised," she stated.

 According to her, the governor has said it countless times that no single life is worth being lost for any political misunderstanding.

“If my appearance would hurt anyone, I would rather stay away and let everyone be at peace. Kogi State is for all of us, and together, we shall  build the state of our dream,” he stated.

The governor, however, urged the youths to shun any act of violence that could disrupt peace across the state, stressing that every life is important to him irrespective of who is involved.

Meanwhile, the spokesperson of the state Police Command, Mr. William Ayah, while speaking with the media on Sunday, said what happened in Kabba last Saturday was not a serious thing.

He disclosed that the two person were arrested in order to save their lives, adding that they were to be mobbed by some youths who wanted to have share of money given to them by some people at the venue. Ayah pointed out that the two persons have been released from the police custody.