News

Melaye arms scandal: Police re-arrest escaped suspects

Published

8 years ago

March 31, 2018

The two suspects involved in the illegal possession of arms case preferred against Dino Melaye, senator representing Kogi west, and said to have escaped from Police custody on Wednesday have been rearrested by the Police.

Ali Janga, who was removed as the State Commissioner of Police after the suspects escaped from custody disclosed this on Saturday.

“Yes, it is confirmed, but note that I am no longer the CP, I have been removed, so next time talk to the new CP,” Janga was quoted as saying.

The Inspector-General of Police, IGP Ibrahim Idris, had on Wednesday ordered the immediate removal of the Commissioner of Police in Kogi State, Ali Janga following the escape of the suspects from police custody.

He also redeployed the Commander, Federal Special Anti-Robbery Squad, SARS, in the state, the Divisional Police Officer ‘A’ Division, Lokoja and other police officers implicated in the escape for negligence, dereliction of duty and gross misconduct.

Dino Melaye, the man at the centre of the controversy had threatened to sue the Inspector General of Police, Ibrahim Idris over the reported escape of two suspects who accused him (Melaye) of being their sponsor and gun supplier.

Melaye who spoke on the floor of the Senate on Wednesday, cited Order 43 to submit that the police had either released the suspects or killed them.

He therefore said that the Police must produce the suspects dead or alive or he would sue the Police IG for intimidation, abuse of power, harrasment and mental assault.

On March 20, the Nigerian Police paraded the suspects allegedly working for Melaye. The thugs were caught with two AK-47 and five pump action guns. The suspects were billed to be arraigned on Wednesday.

However, in a dramatic turn of events, the Police in Lokoja announced on Wednesday that the suspects along with four others escaped following a jail break. Four other suspects escaped along with Seidu and Salisu, bringing the total number of fleeing suspects to six.

Both Seidu and Salisu escaped in the early hours of Wednesday, a day they were supposed to be arraigned before a Lokoja Federal high court alongside Melaye and Mr. Mohammed Audu who was also named by the suspects as their sponsor.