…Say warrant of arrest ‘ll be issued against him on failure
By Joseph Erunke
ABUJA – THE Nigeria Police have given Senator Dino Melaye up to Wednesday this week to appear before a Federal High Court, Lokoja, to answer charges of criminal acts leveled against him, saying violation would leave it with no option than to issue warrant of arrest against him.

Sen. Dino Melaye

The police authorities said Melaye has case to answer in the allegation against him by a wanted kidnap, armed robbery and kidnap kingpin, otherwise known as Osama, who in a confession following his arrest, implicated him of being responsible for their actions.

Force Public Relations Officer, Jimoh Moshood, in a statement Saturday, while accusing Melaye and one of his accomplices, Mohammed Audu to appear the court on Wednesday 28 March, 2018, insisted that the senator would not evade justice having been implicated by the criminal elements already in police custody.

According to Mr Moshood, an Assistant Commissioner of Police, ACP, “the 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 whereever they are sighted and handed over to the Nigeria Police Force for continuation of their trial, “the statement added .

The Nigeria Police Force, he said,” will continue to sustain the Rule of Law and maintain law and order throughout the country.”

The full statement as released by Mr Moshood read thus:”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 atOgojueje 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.

” It will be recalled that consequent on the confession of criminal offences indicting Senator Dino Melaye by the principal suspect KABIRU SAIDU a.k.a OSAMA “31 YRS”, The Nigeria Police Force, sent a letter of investigation activities/invitation dated 2nd March, 2018 addressed to the Senate President, Federal Republic of Nigeria informing and requesting him to release Senator Dino Melaye to report to Commissioner of Police, Kogi State Command on the 7th March, 2018 to answer to criminal offences of Conspiracy and Unlawful Possession of Prohibited Firearmslevelled against him, this is to enable the Police Investigation Team carryout a discreet and thorough investigation into the case.

“But Senator Dino Melaye refused to honour the Police invitation.

“Based on evidence gathered so far in the matter, a case of Criminal Conspiracy and unlawful possession of prohibited firearms was filed by the Nigeria Police Force at Federal High Court Lokoja on 16thMarch, 2018 against the two principal suspects (i) KABIRU SAIDU a.k.a OSAMA (ii) NUHU SALISU a.k.a SMALL “25 YRS”, Senator Dino Melaye and Alh. Mohammed Audu.

“But Senator Dino Melaye and Alh. Mohammed Audu refused to appear in court on Tuesday, 20thMarch, 2018 when the trial supposed to commence.

“This prompted the court to issue a criminal summon on Senator Dino Melaye and Alh. Mohammed Audu to appear in court on Wednesday, 28thMarch, 2018.

“As we speak, Sen. Dino Melaye despite the letter sent to the Senate President as mentioned in Paragraph 5 above, 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 28thMarch, 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 Firearmsagainst 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.”