By BOLUWAJI OBAHOPO

LOKOJA – A Kogi High Court yesterday granted bail to the Administrator of Ijumu Local Government, Taufiq Isah and four others arraigned over alleged assassination attempt on Senator Dino Melaye.

Justice Arome Akogwu, who granted the bail to the administrator who doubled as the state ALGON chairman said the three weeks the accused had spent in custody was far beyong the period allowed by the Constitution.

Akogwu also said that the accused, Taofiq Isa, Ade Obege, Abdullahi Isah, Michael Bamidele and Ahmed Ajayi throught their counsel, A.M. Aliyu (SAN) in his oral application for bail, had undertaken to attend their trials adding that the prosecuting counsel did not object to the presumption of innocence pleaded by Aliyu.

The judge therefore expressed satisfaction with the submission of the defence counsel and granted bail to each of the accused in the sum of N1 million with a reliable surety who must be a senior civil servant in the state in like sum.

Dino Melaye

He adjourned hearing in the Case No HCL/58c/2017 between the Inspector General of Police and Alhaji Taufiq Isah and four others.

Earlier, the lead prosecuting counsel, ACP Lough Simon arraigned the council boss with Ade Obege, Abdullahi Isah, Michael Bamidele and Ahmed Ajayi on a five-count charge of conspiracy to commit culpable homicide punishable with death on April 14.

Simon said Isah committed the offence of abetment contrary to section 83 and punishable under section 91 of the Penal Code.

According to him, Isah authorised other accused persons along with one Abdulmumuni with multiple nicknames including, ”Iron, Osama, Okene, Lukman and Lie Down Flat” on April 14, to use the ambulance of General Hospital, Iyara for the operation to kill Senator Dino Melaye and his household.

The accused were also said to have while acting in concert and armed with guns attempted to commit culpable homicide punishable with death by firing guns severally at the house and rooms of Senator Dino Melaye while the senator inside th house with his family and other security aides contrary to and punishable under section 229 of the Penal Code.

Other offences according to the prosecution include Causing wrongful damage to the properties of the senator including vehicles, building walls and glasses when they allegedly shot at the said properties constrary to 326 and punishable under section 327 of PC.

However, two of the accused Michael Bamidele and Ahmed Ajayi were with illegal possession of firearms (one locally made gun each) without licence contrary to section 27(1)(a) of the Fire Arms Act CAP F28 LFN 2004.

The prosecuting counsel, Simon, also opposed the bail application by the defence counsel on the ground that it was oral and not formally presented in writing but the trial judge overruled the submission and upheld the bail application.