Lead counsel to Senator Dino Melaye, Chief Mike Ozekhome (SAN), says the timing for the arrest of the embattled senator representing Kogi West, is a clear indication that there is a plot using the Nigeria Police to frustrate him politically.
It would be recalled that on Friday, the 28th of December, 2018, a team of plain-clothed Policemen, had stormed Senator Dino Melaye’s house at No 11 Sangha Street, Maitama, Abuja, and barricaded the entire street before eventually forcefully gaining entry into his compound.
In a statement by Ozekhome on Monday, he said the offence which Dino Melaye purportedly committed was allegedly in Kogi State, and has nothing to do with his physical residence in Maitama Abuja.
He said Melaye, who has since parted ways with his earlier party, the ruling APC, has been quite vociferous in the condemnation of the poor performance of the federal government and his state government under Yahaya Bello.
“It would be recalled that Melaye had complained to the world that the Kogi State, Governor in his desperate attempts to undo Dino Melaye politically, had stage-managed his botched recall from the Senate, which process failed ignominiously even while he was chained to a hospital bed like an animal by the same Nigeria Police.
Ozekhome in the statement said Melaye had no knowledge of any prior invitation before the forceful invasion of his home by the agents of the Police in respect of any known offence.
He states that prior invitation ought to have been sent to him, as a serving Senator, through the Clerk of the National Assembly before the forceful invasion of his home, but none was ever served on him.
“Distinguished Senator Dino Melaye, has, for quite some time, been receiving fusillades of politically motivated attacks, on his life, political career and health. His offence, that has attracted these attacks upon his person, is that he is exposing and speaking out against the anti-people policies of both the federal government under President Buhari, and the Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello, who governs his state.
Ozekhome in the statement explained that following Melaye’s voluntary submission to the Police in company of his lawyers, he was first taken to the SARS Police Station where he collapsed.
“Seeing his dangerous health situation, the police were forced to rush him to the Police hospital at Area 1, Garki, Abuja, where they kept him from 4th January to 11th January, 2019.
He said since his incarceration in Police custody, both at the SARS office at Guzape, Abuja, and the Police hospital at Area 1, Garki, Abuja, Dino and team of lawyers had serially, continuously and variously begged the Police and operatives to grant Dino administrative bail, a request they have bluntly refused to grant.