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Tag: Melaye’s residence

  • NHRC condemns police siege to Melaye’s residence

    The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) yesterday condemned the police siege to the Abuja residence of Senator Dino Melaye, saying it violates his right and that of his family.

    The Executive Secretary of the commission, Tony Ojukwu, particularly faulted the method adopted by the police in trying to effect Melaye’s arrest.

    “By this act, the right to freedom of movement of the occupants of the house has been violated consequentially,” he said.

    “Is Melaye the only occupant of the house? How about the rest of the family and other people in that house and the neighbourhood?

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    “It is not a matter of whether the doors are locked from inside or outside, but that the rest of the people are now terrified and unsure of their security due to the siege.”

    Under normal circumstances, the commission said the police ought to invite anybody for questioning and not to lay siege to the person’s house thereby infringing on the right of others.

    The commission said it would not tolerate any form of impunity, particularly from security agencies as the February general elections approach.

    The NHRC asked Police Inspector General Ibrahim Idris to order the immediate withdrawal of his men from Melaye’s house.

  • Blockade: Court rejects Melaye’s request to restrain police

    Senator Dino Melaye (People’s Democratic Party, Kogi West Senatorial District) has lost a bid to end the six-day siege by police operatives on his Abuja home.

    A Federal High Court in Abuja on Thursday rejected an ex-parte application by Melaye in which he, among others, sought to compel the police to end the blockade.

    Justice Evelyn Maha, in a ruling, after listening to Melaye’s lawyer, Nkem Okoro from the law firm of Mike Ozekhome (SAN), declined to grant the interim injunctions sought by the Senator in his ex-parte motion.

    Instead, Justice Maha ordered accelerated hearing of the substantive suit – a fundamental rights enforcement suit.

    Justice Maha, who noted that she would cease to act as the court’s vacation judge by January 4 (when the court’s vacation ends), elected to return the case file to the court’s Chief Judge for re-assignment to a new judge.

    The judge fixed January 14 for the hearing of the main suit.

    Melaye had, in the ex-parte motion, prayed the court for an interim order, directing the police to vacate his residence, remove all blockades in front of the residence and allow his family and political associates access to him.

    The PDP Senator had equally prayed the court for an order restraining the police from further threatening his life or putting his life in jeopardy pending the determination of the substantive suit.

    He also sought the order restraining the police from arresting him, pending the hearing and determination of the substantive suit.

    The police have claimed Melaye is wanted for “Criminal Conspiracy and Attempted Culpable Homicide, committed on 19th July, 2018.”

    According to the Force,  Melaye and “his armed thugs attacked police personnel; shot and wounded Sgt. Danjuma Saliu, attached to 37 Police Mobile Force (PMF) on stop and search duty along Aiyetoro Gbede, Mopa Road in Kogi State.”

    The operatives have vowed to maintain the siege on Melaye’s house until he surrenders.

     

     

     

  • Police maintain siege on Melaye’s residence

    For the second day running, armed policemen yesterday kept surveillance on the Abuja residence of Senator Dino Melaye, who, they said, is wanted for attempted murder.

    The police stormed the house on Friday to arrest Melaye but did not find him.

    The senator claimed he was out of Abuja and would make himself available to the police later this week.

    The Police said they would remain there until he surrenders.

    But they denied yesterday, a report that they had cut off public electricity supply to the house.

    Police spokesman, Mr. Moshood Jimoh, a deputy superintendent (DSP) in an sms to   The Nation said: “As a matter of fact, we prefer that the place should not be in darkness so that it will be easy to monitor things properly.

    “I can confirm that our men are still there and they may not leave until all legal steps have been taken to bring the suspect before the law.”

    Jimoh had said on Friday that Melaye “is wanted by the police for attempted culpable homicide, the shooting and wounding of a policeman on duty.”

    He said the offence was committed by Melaye and his thugs in Kogi State.

    He added: “Senator Dino is a wanted man and the police are only in the process of arresting him. Three months ago, a letter had been written to the Clerk of the National Assembly to inform Senator Dino Melaye of the need to report to the police in Kogi State and he (Senator Melaye) has refused to do so.”

    Melaye accused the Kogi State (his home state) government of instigating the police against him.

    He said the state government is out to kill him.

     

  • …Saraki kicks over police invasion of Melaye’s residence

    •Says it’s ‘Another pointer to misuse of police against citizens’

    Senate President Bukola Saraki yesterday described the Friday police invasion of the Abuja home of Senator Dino Melaye as another instance of the police being used to suppress the rights of the citizenry and silencing people with opposing views to government.

    Saraki in a statement by his Special Adviser (Media and Publicity), Yusuph Olaniyonu, said it is unacceptable for the police to  invade the residence  of a lawmaker, interfere  with his electricity  and water supply, beat up and cuff  his domestic staff and disturb  the peace of his neighbours for  an offence  allegedly committed in July.

    He also faulted the timing of the invasion and described   the ‘desperate attempt’ to arrest the Senator as suspicious more so when Melaye had raised the  alarm a few days before his house was invaded that there was an attempt by the police to get hold of him and inflict injury on his person.

    His words: “The general belief now is that the Police action against Senator Melaye was aimed at keeping him out of circulation so that he would not participate in the general elections coming in February.

    “The manner of invasion on his house is highly suspicious. This same man has been charged with sundry and needless allegations and he has attended the various court sessions.

    “He is also a candidate in the coming elections and therefore has no reason to run away from the country. He was also present in the Senate for plenary, committee meetings and oversight functions till the Senate went on recess on December 20, 2018. Though the police in their statement claim that there was a request to the Clerk of the National Assembly (CNA) inviting Senator Melaye to report to the police, my enquiry from the CNA showed that he had no such letter.

    “If there was an offence allegedly committed in July and the police waited till now, we do not see the urgency in the need to arrest him about six weeks to the election in which he is a candidate.

    “He could have been invited to report to the police on Monday. This desperation to haul him in is beyond normal. This same IGP who refused to honour the invitation of the Senate for him to give information on the security situation in the country and rushed to the court to seek protection of his rights is now violating the rights of other people.

    “In the same manner, a Senate resolution to the effect that his security personnel that were withdrawn should be reinstated has not been obeyed.

    “This method of digging out some old charges and allegations to arrest and incarcerate political opponents has presented this current Inspector General of Police, Mr. Ibrahim Kpotum Idris as the most partisan head of the Nigerian Police ever in the history of this country. We have continued to call on the security agencies to steer clear of partisanship and be professional in their activities.

    “This country is not a banana country. Nobody is saying the police should not do their work in the prevention of crime and enforcement of laws. However, a pattern of creating trumped up charges, implicating those who have contrary views to the administration and employing crude tactics under the pretext of enforcing laws is unacceptable to us. It is not because Senator Melaye is the victim this time around. This should not happen to any Nigerian.”