Senator Dino Melaye is not new to controversy. As a member of the House of Representatives, he was embroiled in issues that pitched him against the leadership of the lower House.
He was suspended over the allegation that former speaker Rt. Honourable Dimeji Bankole mismanaged N9 billion between 2008 and 2009. The suspension was nullified by the court before he returned to the House.
Fast forward to the present and you have Melaye once again, in the eye of the storm. His recent ordeal thus indicates that he is walking a familiar path.
In the wake of his current face-off with law enforcement agents and the governor of his state, Yahaya Bello, pundits are divided along conflicting lines of thought.
While some believe that Melaye’s current travails signal the end of his political career, others argue that the Kogi lawmaker would once again, overcome his challenges.
Things took a bad turn for the lawmaker when the police paraded two alleged members of an armed gang terrorising Kogi State, Kabiru Saidu and Nuru Salisu.
The police said the suspects had confessed to being provided with weapons and financial support by Melaye, who represents Kogi West Senatorial District.
The development aggravated the political crisis that has seen Melaye and Kogi governor, Bello, enmeshed in bitter confrontations over the state’s political structure.
A statement by police spokesperson, Jimoh Moshood, said detectives arrested the suspects with a cache of arms that included AK-47 rifles and pump action firearms. Moshood said the suspects confessed during interrogations that they were being sponsored by Melaye. The criminal indictments were part of the reasons police were looking for Melaye, Moshood added. The police subsequently invited the senator for questioning but the he balked, leading to a hide and seek escapade between him and the law enforcement agents. The situation degenerated to the extent that the lawmaker devised crafty means to evade the web spun by the police to arrest him, a couple of times.
This led the police to declare him wanted. In response, Melaye denied the allegation, describing it as a dubious attempt to ridicule him. “I did not flee Nigeria and have no reason to flee my country leaving my family behind. The lies in the report are nothing but to cause serious disharmony in the Senate and disrupt the spirit of camaraderie among the senators,” he said. Melaye’s subsequent attempt to travel out of the country was prevented by airport security operatives. Soon after the latter seized his international passport, he reportedly snatched it back from them and fled for home.
The police got wind of the incident and laid a siege to his residence. He was arrested for interrogation about his role as the alleged sponsor of the suspects in its custody. But in a remarkable twist laced with drama, he tried to escape by allegedly jumping off a moving police vehicle en route Lokoja. He was subsequently taken to Zankli hospital, in Abuja, where police authorities put him under close watch to prevent further breach. At the backdrop of the proceedings, observers argue that it is democracy in action and whatever drama ensues would add value to the democratic process.
The senator’s critics, however, liken his conduct to an intriguing Nollywood flick; built around a plot and character (Melaye) primed to deliberately cause confusion and divert attention from crucial issues of the day. From his resurrected recall process initiated by his constituency, to his faceoff with the police, Melaye believes that forces from Kogi State were bent on jeopardising the work he was elected to perform. According to him, a previous attempt by a detachment of State Anti-Robberry Squad (SARS) operatives from Kogi State to arrest him within an Abuja High Court, was a clear evidence that Police headquarters, Abuja, was partisan. “It is worrisome that the Police Headquarters has got itself entangled in the Kogi political crisis and has taken side.
One would wonder why the synergy between the law enforcement in Abuja and Kogi State has become so cordial.” The senator said he had taken the matter up with the international community to call global attention to the intimidation and harassment he was facing. The senator had complained on many occasions that his life was at risk. The Kogi State government has, however, responded that it is not after Melaye. Kingsley Fanwo, the Director – General, Media and Publicity to the Kogi State governor, absolved his principal of blame and urged Melaye to quit blaming him. “Criminals were nabbed by the police and they disclosed the persons behind the supply of arms to them.
The person is running from pillar to post instead of explaining himself. “The simple thing to do here is for him to prove his case and leave the governor out of it. On our part as a government, we are pleased that our anti-crime efforts are yielding fruits. Governor Yahaya Bello is committed to ensuring the safety of all Kogi residents. That is his primary responsibility to the people of the state.” As the battle between Melaye and the police authority rages on, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) announced it would go ahead with Melaye’s recall process that was suspended when he challenged it in court. The state Electoral Commissioner, Prof. James Apam, said following recent Appeal Court ruling, INEC will restart the recall process. These are certainly not the best of times for Dino Melaye.
THE NATION
