The embattled senator representing Kogi West Senatorial District, Mr. Dino Melaye, who survived a recall referendum last weekend, was today arraigned at the Chief Magistrate’s Court, Wuse II in Abuja.
He was arraigned by the police on the allegation that he escaped from lawful custody while being driven in a police vehicle to Lokoja, the Kogi state capital to be arraigned on criminal charges.
Melaye who was wheeled into the court on a stretcher pleaded not guilty to the charge and was subsequently granted bail in the sum of N90million bail.
According to the First Information Report (FIR) read before Magistrate Segun-Bello, the Police specifically alleged that on April 24, 2018, about 1330hrs at Area One round-about Abuja, “You Senator Dino Melaye of the Federal Republic of Nigeria while being conveyed in a Police White Hilux Bus with Registration number NPF 3354 D to Lokoja Kogi State to be arraigned in Court for Conspiracy and Unlawful Possession of Prohibited Firearms in Charge Number CMCL/14SC/2018 filed at the Chief Magistrate Court Lokoja, you Senator Dino Melaye intentionally broke the side windscreen of the Bux and jumped out of the bus after it was blocked by a Hilux Vehicle with registration number Kaduna MKA 603 GY occupied by your younger brother Samuel Melaye and one Barrister Amefula David Emeka and driven by yet to be unidentified person who escaped from the scene after the blockade.
“You Senator Dino Melaye after breaking the side windscreen attempted to kill yourself by jumping out of the bus and fell on the ground and thereafter started shouting that you want to kill yourself and implicate the Police for your death.
“That Police Officers who were escorting you in the bus tried to re-arrest you back to the bus but you resisted further arrest with the help of your brother, Samuel Melaye and some lawyers in your company and further threatened to injure the Police officers if they try to further arrest you and you finally escaped from the scene in another Hilux vehicle”.
The police said the offence is punishable under Sections 148, 153, 172, 173, 231 and 326 of the Penal Code Act.
Melaye was however re-arrested after meeting the bail conditions
It would be recalled that Melaye was rushed to the Zanklin Hospital, Mabushi, Abuja, after he allegedly jumped off a moving police van at Area One Roundabout, Garki, on April 24, 2018 in an attempt to prevent the police from taking him to Kogi State for trial for alleged arms deal.
