The Nigeria Police has advised Senator Dino Melaye (Kogi West) to appear before a Federal High Court and answer criminal charges against him or be declared wanted.
The police said after refusing to honour an invitation and a court summon extended to him, they are ready to effect his arrest should he fail to appear at its Kogi command on Wednesday, March 28.
The Force Public Relations Officer, Jimoh Moshood, in a statement issued on Saturday, said the senator is wanted on grounds of criminal offences of conspiracy and unlawful possession of prohibited firearms.
According to the PRO, Melaye’s summon follows the arrest of two men in Dekina Local Government Area of Kogi State, on January 19, after they confessed to having committed various crimes such as kidnappings and armed robbery.
They also disclosed that the Senator had handed them a bag containing firearms.
“Working on actionable intelligence, the Kogi State Police Command personnel and operatives of the Federal Special Anti-Robbery Squad trailed and arrested two (2) suspects, namely; KABIRU SAIDU a.k.a OSAMA “31 YRS” From Dekina LGA but based in Anyagba (Leader of the gang) and NUHU SALISU a.k.a SMALL “25 YRS” (a member of the gang), after a gun battle with the Police team that lasted for some hours on the 19th January, 2018 at Ogojueje in Dekina Local Government Area of Kogi State.
“During investigation, they confessed to the various criminal roles they played in the commission of several kidnappings and Armed Robbery, Murder and other Violent Crimes in different parts of Kogi State for which they have been on the wanted list of the Police for more than two years now.
“The gang leader KABIRU SAIDU a.k.a OSAMA revealed that he and his gang have been working as a Political Thug for one Alh. Mohammed Audu a Politician in the State and that Alh. Mohammed Audu invited him to Abuja and introduced him to Senator Dino Melaye and they met on Airport road, Abuja inside the Senator Dino Melaye’s Car in the month of December, 2017.
“KABIRU SAIDU a.k.a OSAMA “31 YRS” further confessed to the Police investigative team that Senator Dino Melaye handed over a bag containing the following firearms one (1) AK47 rifle, two (2) Pump Action guns and the sum of four hundred and thirty thousand naira N430,000.00 to share with his boys.
“The Police conducted investigation into the criminal indictments against Sen. Dino Melaye and Mohammed Audu and discovered that the two (2) of them have case to answer. The two (2) suspects namely; KABIRU SAIDU a.k.a OSAMA and NUHU SALISU a.k.a SMALL were paraded at the Kogi State Command Headquarters, Lokoja on 19th March, 2018,” the statement partly read.
Mr. Moshood noted that a letter had been sent to the Senate President, Dr Bukola Saraki on March 2 asking Melaye to appear before the Kogi state police command headquarters to answer to the allegations against him, yet there was no response.
“As we speak, Sen. Dino Melaye despite the letter sent to the Senate President, refused to honour Police Invitation till date and also refused to appear in court and has also continued to evade the service of criminal summon on him to appear before the Federal High Court, Lokoja on the 28th March, 2018 to answer to the charge of Criminal Conspiracy and unlawful possession of prohibited firearms against him and Mohammed Audu.
“The Nigeria Police Force is therefore using this medium to advise Senator Dino Melaye and Mohammed Audu in their interest to comply with the order of the court and appear on 28th March, 2018 before Federal High Court, Lokoja to answer to the criminal charges against them.
“If they continue to be evasive and fail to comply with criminal summon issued on them by the Federal High Court, Lokoja to appear on 28th March, 2018 to answer to the criminal charges of Conspiracy and Unlawful Possession of Prohibited Firearms against them.
The Force, will obtain Warrant of Arrest for the arrest of Senator Dino Melaye and Mohammed Audu and will definately declare them wanted throughout the country and on INTERPOL platform for them to be arrested in any country where ever they are sighted and handed over to the Nigeria Police Force for continuation of their trial.
“The Nigeria Police Force will continue to sustain the Rule of Law and maintain Law and Order throughout the Country,” the statement added.