Why I Escaped from Police Custody – Senator Melaye

Segun Atanda/

Senator Dino Melaye has decribed his reported escape from police custody as “a last resort” to “foil attempt to kidnap him and kill him by agents of Kogi State governor in connivance with the police”.

Police say in a statement today that Melaye escaped from the custody of officers conveying him to Lokoja, Kogi State, for arraignment at a Federal High Court over alleged supply of illegal firearms.

The statement signed by the Force Public Relations Officer, ACP Jimoh Moshood, says: “At about 1200hrs of today Sen. Dino Melaye while in lawful custody of the Nigeria Police Force personnel and being taken for arraignment in Federal High Court Lokoja from Abuja, escaped from lawful custody when hoodlums and miscreants in Two (2) Toyota Hilux Vehicles blocked the Police vehicle conveying Senator Dino Melaye around Area 1 Round About, Abuja and in the process the Senator jumped out of the Police vehicle through the window and was rescued from the Police men by hoodlums and miscreants to an unknown destination.

“The Police team re-enforced and trailed Senator Dino Melaye to Zankli Hospital, Abuja where he was re-arrested. The Senator would be arraigned in court without further delay.

“Meanwhile, one of the Toyota Hilux vehicles used by the hoodlums and miscreants in aiding the escape of the Senator has been recovered by the Police investigation team.

“The Inspector General of Police has therefore directed a thorough investigation into the circumstances leading to the rescue and escape of Senator Dino Melaye from lawful custody.”

But the senator issued a counter statement through his Special Adviser (Media), Gideon Ayodele, describing the claims by the police as misleading.
The statement entitled, ‘Today’s Incident Involving Senator Dino Melaye: A Last Resort’, the senator said it was also untrue that he had been evading police invitation.

The statement reads: “Sequel to the avalanche of calls by well-meaning Nigerians and supporters of Senator Dino Melaye for enquiries about the well-being and safety of the Senator and against the backdrop of baseless rumours being spread on the social media, we are constrained to make the record straight as follows:

“Earlier in the morning, Senator Dino Melaye as a law-abiding citizen voluntarily submitted himself to the operatives of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) who had laid siege to his private residence since around 3.35pm of Monday, April 23, 2018.

“He, along with his lawyers and personal aides, was driven in his private car to the SARS office in Guzape district of Abuja, sandwiched among the numerous police vehicles earleir deployed to his house.

“For the avoidance of doubt, he had never evaded police invitation before now because there was none extended to him in the first place. Rather, what the Police FPRO, Mr. Jimoh Moshood, had been doing was to summon the Senator through media briefings, a practice which is unconventional.

“But given the media hype the whole saga had generated expecially his unwarranted travails in the hands of Immigration officials at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Aiport in Abuja on Monday, April 23 and the attendant but dramatic police siege to his private residence thereafter, where family members and political associates were subjected to traumatic experience for hours, it became necessary for Senator Dino Melaye to end the drama, hence his choice of appearing before the police today.

“Later on they moved to take him to Lokoja in Kogi State. The public will vividly recall that this same case involving Senator Dino Melaye had already been transferred to Abuja by the Chief Justice of the Federal High Court after Senator Melaye expressed worry about his safety in Lokoja. Now, the question is why will they want to forcefully take him to Lokoja? The Senator believes they are doing the Kogi Governor’s bidding in order to assassinate him.

“Contrary to online reports about jumping out of a moving police vehicle. Nothing could be farther from the truth as such insinuation is practically impossible for a man saddled between gun-wielding policemen. Today’s incident was a last resort by Senator Dino Melaye in order foil attempt to kidnap him and kill him by agents of Kogi State governor in connivance with the Police.”

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