Police arrest Ijunu council administrator over attempted murder of Dino Melaye

• Bayelsa court orders DSS to arraign detained journalist

The Administrator of Ijumu Local Council in Kogi State, Taofiq Isah, has been arrested in connection with the assassination attempt on Senator Dino Melaye. An eyewitness account said a special squad from the Police Headquarters, Abuja, arrested him at the premises of the Ministry of Education, Lokoja.

Some gunmen had recently invaded the senator’s home at Aiyetoro-Gbede area and destroyed two of his vehicles, while his house was riddled with bullets. A source at the Kogi Sate Police Command told The Guardian that the directive was from the Inspector General of Police, Ibrahim Idris.

“It is a very serious issue and the police must do everything to investigate the alleged assassination attempt. Nobody is above the law in the country. We are still investigating and we must get to the root of the issue,” he said.

The Kogi State Commissioner of Police, Wilson Inalegwu, stressed that anybody could be invited for questioning in the matter to ensure that the culprits are brought to book.

He confirmed that some arrests had been made in connection with the issue, adding that the public would be informed when the investigation is completed. He further disclosed that five suspected Fulani kidnappers were arrested in Aiyetor-Gbede, while an AK 47 rifle was recovered from them. He said their victims had been released.

Meanwhile, a Bayelsa High Court, presided over by Justice Ineiye Aganaba, has ordered the Department of State Services (DSS) to arraign the alleged leader of a militant group, the Joint Niger Delta Liberation Front (JDNLF), Chief Abiri.

Abiri, a journalist and publisher of the indigenous newspaper called the Weekly Source, was arrested at his office at Ekeki, Yenagoa, by the DSS operatives on July 21, 2016. Abiri, known as General Akotebe Darikoro was alleged to have been championing separatist tendencies in connivance with other criminal gangs in the region.

According to the DSS, the suspect operated under the nom-de-guerre “General-Kill and Bury” and had confessed to have participated in some criminal activities committed by the JNDLF.‎