Melaye, Bello’s aide disagree over attack on Senator

The Senator representing Kogi West in the National Assembly, Dino Melaye, has accused Governor Yahaya Bello of masterminding the attack on him by suspected thugs during the Kabba Day celebration at the weekend.

In a statement yesterday in Lokoja by his Special Assistant on Media, the lawmaker alleged that he was attacked by men sponsored by the state government.

He claimed: “Two out of the Ebira boys that attacked him in Kabba on Saturday were sent by the state government. They were arrested by the police but later got bail following the intervention of the state apparatus.”

In a swift reaction, the Chief Press Secretary to the governor, Mrs. Petra Akinti Onyegbule in a statement, said her principal was committed to security of lives and property.

She said her boss avoided the event to avert chaos. “The alleged attack on Dino Melaye by some aggrieved Kogi West youths would have been worsened if the governor was present at the event.

“As the chief security officer of the state, whose job is to ensure the protection and safety of lives and property, Governor Bello is committed to making sure that the onerous task of ensuring the safety of the entire citizens was never compromised,” she stated.

According to her, the governor would not claim any soul for any political misunderstanding.

“If my appearance would hurt anyone, I would rather stay away and let everyone be at peace. Kogi is for all of us, and together we shall build the state of our dream,” the aide quoted the governor as saying.

He, however, urged the youths to shun any act of violence statewide, stressing that every life was important to him.

Meanwhile, the police spokesperson in the state, William Ayah, who confirmed the arrest of two persons, said they had been released.