Police declare Dino Melaye, others wanted: Suspects escaped from Police custody

Operatives of the Kogi state police command today confirmed the escape from custody two suspects arrested and paraded last week for working for Senator Dino Melaye and Mohammed Audu.

This happened just as the police placed Senator Dino Melaye and Mohammed Audu on the watch list of Interpol and declared them wanted.

The suspects Kabir Seidu, a.k.a Osama and Nuhu Salisu a.k.a Small were among six suspects that escaped from the ‘A’ division of the Kogi state police command in Lokoja in the early hours of Wednesday.

They were arrested in January for allegedly confessing to being sponsored by the Senator to destabilize Kogi state ahead of 2019 election.

Addressing newsmen this morning in Lokoja, the state capital, the commissioner of police, Ali Janga said that other suspects that escaped alongside the two are Aliyu Isa, Adams Suleiman, Emmanuel Audu and Musa Mohammed.

Janga said that following this development, all the six suspects, Senator Dino Melaye and Mohammed Audu have been sent for watchlisting by the Interpol for immediate arrests anywhere they were seen.

National Daily learnt from Police source that, the duo of Senator Dino Melaye and Mohammed Audu named by the suspects as their sponsors have been declared wanted.

Dino Melaye who was expected to appear in a Lokoja court today had repeatedly denied ever going into exile adding that no invitation had been extended either to him directly or by proxy by the police.

Explaining the circumstances of their escape, the commissioner said that there was serious suspicion of connivance by the men of the Special anti-robbery squad guarding the suspects

” This is a clear case of constructive escape” adding that the suspects broke the door of the cell while two guards were stationed to keep watch on them.

He said that five of police officers on duty at that time have been suspended while special Inspector General investigation team have been deployed to the state to track the fleeing suspects.

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He appealed to the members of the public to assist the police with useful information on the whereabouts of the suspects by reporting to the nearest police station.

According to him, “investigation into the unfortunate incident is ongoing, while thirteen police officers who were on duty when the incident occurred were defaulted and detained for interrogation”.