The inspector general of police, Mr. Ibrahim Idris, on Wednesday denied that there was any plot to order the arrest and killing of the senator representing Kogi West, Mr. Dino Melaye
Melaye had earlier raised the alarm claiming there was a plot to arrest him on Christmas day and kill him.
In a tweet on Tuesday, December 25, he claimed the plan was to give him a lethal injection adding that the Kogi State commissioner of police had been removed in order to perfect the plot.
He had tweeted: “There is a plan by the IG to arrest me today and inject me to death. Men deployed already. CP kogi and others removed. Nigerians watch out.
But the police spokesman, Mr. Moshood Jimoh said in a statement in Abuja that the lawmaker’s claim “is mischievous, malicious, capable of misleading the public and laughable.”
He said there was no such order from Idris or any plan by the police to arrest Melaye and inject him to death.
“But if the Senator knows he had committed any crime or he is aware of his involvement in any crime, he should come out and confess and face the legal consequences instead of whipping up sentiments to distract the public.
“The Force sees such defamatory, mischievous, malicious and reckless statement by Senator Dino Melaye as untrue, ridiculous, mischievous and unfortunate.”
“Members of the public are hereby enjoined to disregard and discountenance the statement by Senator Dino Melaye in its entirety as untrue and mischievous,” said the police.
Jimoh also said Melaye should know that his statement constitutes a criminal defamatory offence, hate speech and hateful conduct.
“He should, however, as a lawmaker, be law-abiding and desist from un-senatorial and lawless utterances that cannot be substantiated with facts.
“The inspector general of police will not be distracted by statements from the likes of Senator Dino Melaye but will continue to ensure that the rule of law prevails in all matters,” stated the police.