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. 

"The governor is a law-abiding citizen of Nigeria who would not involve himself in such criminality. Home or abroad, no organisation has ever indicted the governor of such crime. He has respect for human life.  He noted that he did not believe these issues are as complex as the senator wants the world to believe."