The Nigeria Police, FCT Command has paraded six persons in connection with the recent assassination attempt on the Senator Representing Kogi West, Dino Melaye.
Melaye was recently attacked at his residence at Iyala, Ijumu LGA in Kogi State.
Subsequently, the Inspector General of Police, IGP Ibrahim K. Idris, swiftly deployed Police Special Tactical Squad (STS) team to unravel the circumstances surrounding the attack and bring the perpetrators to justice.
Addressing newsmen on Saturday while parading the suspects, the Force PRO, Moshood Jimoh said the suspects were arrested by crack team of the force deployed by the IGP during the week.
Jimoh said among the suspects were Taofiq Isah, chairman Ijumu LGA Kogi State and his orderly, Sgt Ede James.
Others he said include, Ade Obage, Abdullahi Isah a.k.a Eko, Ahmed Ajayi and Michael Bamidele
Items recovered from the suspects include, one Ambulance Hyundai Bus, five AK 47 rifles, one berretta pistol, two locally made single barrel shot gun, 25 expended shells of 7.62 mm ammunition, 13expended shells of 9mm ammunition and twelve (12) expended shells gauge cartridge
He said, “In compliance with the Inspector General of Police’s directive on the attack and attempted assassination/murder of Senator Dino Melaye carried out on 15/04/2017, at Iyala, Ijumu LGA in Kogi state, the operatives of the IGP Special Tactical Squad swung into action and after ten (10) days of painstaking and sustained surveillance between 16/04/2017 and 25/04/2017, successfully arrested six (6) members of the vicious and notorious Hired Assassins gang responsible for the attack and attempted assassination/murder of Senator Dino Melaye carried out on 15/04/2017, at Iyala, Ijumu LGA in Kogi state namely:
“Taofiq Isah (Chairman Ijumu LGA Kogi state) according to the investigation so far, is the mastermind of the executed attempted assassination/murder of Senator Dino Melaye. He was alleged to have directed one Abdulmumini a.k.a Iron, now at large (who was said to be his Personal Assistant) and who in turn recruited other members of the vicious and notorious hired assassins mentioned above.
“Ade Obage, 29 years voluntarily informed the Police that he has the knowledge and information about the attempted assassination/murder attack of Senator Dino Melaye after the attack was carried out. He further informed the investigators that he was contacted to join the gang by Abdullahi Eko a principal suspect now in Police custody.
“Abdullahi a.k.a Eko, a native of Adavi town in Adavi LGA of Kogi State was arrested and he confessed to the crime and admitted to the criminal roles he played along with the other suspects in carrying out the attempted assassination/murder of Senator Dino Melaye. He also mentioned other members of the gang who are still at large and that they used the Ambulance Hyundai bus and Five (5) AK 47 rifles for the operation. The Ambulance was recovered behind the Ijumu LGA Secretariat in Kogi State.
“Ex- Sgt Ede James, (Orderly to Chairman of Ijumu LGA Kogi State). He is the Police orderly to the principal suspect Taofiq Isah, the Chairman of Ijumu LGA in Kogi State whose phone was used for communication for the planning of the failed assassination/murder of Senator Dino Melaye. He was arrested with a serious criminal link to another principal suspect Abdullahi a.k.a Eko who is an active member of the gang.”
He added that the firearms recovered have been sent for Ballistic expert examination, test and analysis at the Force Criminal Intelligence and Investigation Department in Lagos.