The Nigeria Police Force has asked the
lawmaker representing Kogi West in the National Assembly, Senator Dino Melaye,
to surrender himself for arrest and investigation for attempted culpable
homicide.
It stated that the police operatives
deployed in his house with an arrest warrant will not leave his Abuja residence
until they apprehended him.
The Force spokesman, Jimoh Moshood, said
in a statement on Monday that Melaye had repeated spurned several invitations
asking him to report for an investigation into the alleged shooting of one Sgt.
Danjuma Saliu, attached to 37 Police Mobile Force while on stop-and-search duty
along Aiyetoro Gbede, Mopa Road in Kogi State.
He explained that Melaye and his armed thugs
shot and injured Saliu who is currently on admission at the Federal Medical
Centre, Lokoja.
Police investigators, he said, had
invited Melaye through a letter of invitation dated 23rd July, 2018, signed by
the Commissioner of Police, Kogi State Police Command, and addressed to the
Clerk, National Assembly, Abuja
Moshood said, “Melaye was asked to
report on 26th July, 2018 at the Kogi State Police Command, CIID, Lokoja to
answer to a case of criminal conspiracy and attempted culpable homicide against
him under investigation in the Kogi State Police Command.
“The claim by the Senate President in
the media that the Police did not submit a letter of invitation to the Clerk of
the National Assembly is therefore incorrect as can be seen on the attached letter
with acknowledgment stamp of the Clerk, National Assembly, Abuja, dated 24
July, 2018.”
The Police also tendered copies of
pictures of the injured officer, the invitation letter to Melaye addressed to
the Clerk of National Assembly and the medical report from the Federal Medical
Centre, Lokoja, confirming the admission of Sgt. Saliu to the hospital for
gunshot injury.
Meanwhile, the National Coordinator,
Advocate for Peoples’ Rights and Justice, Victor Giwa, has condemned the police
siege and move to arrest Melaye, describing it as an abuse of his rights.
The activist in a statement asked the
police to follow the proper procedure laid down by the law if the lawmaker was
needed to answer to any charges.
He added, “As an organisation, we see
the continuous occupation of the residence of Senator Melaye as a gross
violation of his right to freedom of movement and personal liberty, as provided
in the constitution.
“If the Police need the Senator for any
offence or for trial in court, there are proper procedures laid down by the law
to follow, anything outside that is persecution. We, therefore, insist that we
shall mobilize our allies as civil society to resist any form of intimidation
or harassment by the police. An injustice to one is an injustice to all.”
