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Suspects escape: Melaye accuses Police of cover-up

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8 years ago

March 28, 2018

Dino Melaye, senator representing Kogi west, has threatened to sue Ibrahim Idris, inspector-general of police (IGP), if he does not produce two suspects who levelled allegations against him.

The police had accused Melaye of arming the suspects for robbery and kidnapping.

The two suspects, Kabiru Seidu alias Osama and Nuhu Salisu alias small, who accused Melaye of supplying arms to them were said to have custody on Wednesday.

According to the state Commissioner of Police, Ali Janga, who has since been removed by the Inspector-General of Police Ibrahim Idris over the scandal, the suspects fled from a police division in Lokoja where they were being kept in “lawful custody”.

According to him, four other suspects escaped along with Seidu and Salisu, bringing the total number of fleeing suspects to six.

He said both Seidu and Salisu escaped on Wednesday when they were supposed to be arraigned before a federal high court in lokoja, alongside Melaye and Mohammed Audu, son of the late Abubakar Audu, former governor of Kogi.

Speaking on the floor of the Senate on Wednesday, Melaye said instead of producing the suspects in court, the prosecutor asked the judge to issue an arrest warrant.

The senator said there are rumours that the suspects might have been killed. He, therefore, urged the police to produce them “dead or alive”.

“Mr. President, we were all supposed to appear before the Lokoja high court this morning. My lawyers were in court at 9am and the case was called up and the prosecutor of the Nigerian police could not produce the two persons,” he said.

“Instead of producing the two persons, they asked the judge to a bench warrant for an arrest but the judge refused to grant their prayers and the judge said despite the fact that I have not been served I sent representation to the court. And the main accused persons are absent in court.

“So, she cannot grant a bench warrant and the matter has been adjourned till May 10. Mr President, I want to use the opportunity and on the principle of justice to call on the inspector-general of police that within 48 hours he must produce these accused persons because they are presumed innocent until proven guilty they also have right to life.

“So, police must as a matter of urgency produce these two accused persons. Failure to do so, I will sue the IG for mental assault. Nigeria is not a banana republic. They cannot escape he must produce them dead or alive.”