Melaye surrenders after seven -day police siege to Abuja home

Will Be Taken To Court After Investigation, Say Police
The seven-day siege to the Abuja residence of Senator Dina Melaye by the Police, who sought to effect his arrest over a case of culpable homicide, ended yesterday when he surrender himself to the Police personnel.

Melaye was declared wanted by the Police for criminal conspiracy and attempted culpable homicide, committed on July 19, last year, when he and others allegedly attacked Police personnel, shot and wounded Danjuma Saliu, attached to 37 Police Mobile Force (PMF), who was on ‘stop and search’ duty along Aiyetoro Gbede, Mopa Road in Kogi State.

The lawmaker, who was later taken in custody by personnel from the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) in Abuja, surrendered about 2.30pm in the presence of Senators Ben Bruce, Attai Aidoko and coterie of his lawyers.

Sources said Melaye, along with the senators and Counsel, went with the Police to the office of the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Ibrahim Idris, but were directed to the FSARS headquarters in Guzape.

Force spokesman, Jimoh Moshood, who confirmed the development yesterday in Abuja, said Melaye opened the door to the house and fell down in front of the waiting personnel of the Force.

Moshood said investigation into the matter would continue.

The Police spokesman had earlier said at a news conference that Police operatives would remain at Melaye‘s residence until he surrendered himself for arrest, alleging that the senator refused to report to the Kogi State Police Command to answer the charges against him, in spite of the letter written to the Clerk of the National Assembly.

Heavy detachment of policemen from Force Headquarters in Abuja had on Friday, December 28 last year, invaded the senator’s residence located on Saghai Street in Maitama District to effect his arrest.

But he refused the policemen access into his house, despite the siege and disconnection of electricity and water into the house.

His effort to get the policemen out of his premises through legal action, however, failed on Thursday when an Abuja High Court refused his prayer to that effect.

Moshood, in a statement, yesterday, said Melaye would be taken to court on completion of investigation, adding that the senator, who was in Police custody for investigation, had earlier after his arrest been taken to Police Hospital in the federal capital for medical attention, was in stable condition.

Recounting how the drama started, the Force spokesman said: “Investigation into the case of criminal conspiracy and attempted culpable homicide against him is ongoing.

“While the Police investigation team was waiting, Melaye granted an interview monitored on television stations that he was not in Abuja. This claim eventually was discovered to be completely false, as he surrendered to the waiting Police investigation team today at his residence in Abuja about 4pm.

“The Police investigation team had since December 28, 2018, about 10am arrived the residence of Melaye with a duly obtained Warrant of Arrest to effect his arrest to answer to a case of criminal conspiracy and attempted culpable homicide against him under investigation in the Kogi State Police Command. Melaye, on sighting the Police team, locked up himself in the building to evade arrest.”

“The Warrant of Arrest was obtained after Melaye refused to honour Police invitation dated July 23, 2018, signed by the Commissioner of Police, Kogi State Police Command, addressed to the Clerk, National Assembly, Abuja, inviting Melaye to report on July 26, 2018 at 11am at the Kogi State Police Command, CIID, Lokoja to answer to a case of criminal conspiracy and attempted culpable homicide against him under investigation in the Kogi State Police Command.”