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Court backs Police over siege at Melaye’ residence

Published

5 years ago

January 3, 2019

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A Federal High Court in Abuja has declined a request by embattled Senator Dino Melaye for police officers to vacate his residence and desist from further attempts at arresting him.

Recall that police officers have been at the Abuja residence of the senator on an order to arrest him for his alleged involvement in an attack on their colleague, Nigeria Police has stated.

In a statement by the force’ Public Relations Officer, Jimoh Moshood, last Friday, the police said the senator alongside his ‘armed thugs’ shot one Sergeant Danjuma Saliu in July.

Senator Melaye had approached the court after the police officers laid a siege to his residence following allegations by the senator that the police planned to poison him.

He also asked the court to stop the police from what he described as acting in a manner threatening his life. The requests were presented as ex-parte applications after Melaye asked the court for enforcement of his fundamental rights in the same court.

An ex-parte application could have allowed the judge to grant the order without hearing from the police. In a ruling on the ex-parte application on Thursday, a judge, N. E. Maha, refused the application, but ruled that the substantive matter be granted accelerated hearing.

The police have insisted on arresting Mr Melaye, accusing him of involvement in the killing of a police officer. The controversial senator is already facing two separate charges of attempted suicide and allegedly arming criminal suspects.

This is the latest in the strings of allegations the police had levelled against Mr Melaye.

It is also the fourth time the police will be attempting to arrest the senator who is currently on a court bail for a separate charge.

The lawmaker earlier told journalists on phone that he was not in the house, a claim the police believe is not true.