More Trouble As Court Denies Sen Melaye Bail
- Remanded in police custody till June 11
The alleged charge of criminal conspiracy and unlawful possession of prohibited firearms against embattled Senator Dino Melaye took a dramatic twist on Thursday as the Court directed that he be remanded in Police custody till June 11, 2018.
Senator Melaye, who was arraigned on Thursday in Lokoja, lost the bid to secure bail as the Chief Chief Magistrate Suleiman Abdulahi refused his request and ruled that he remained behinds bars for the next 39 days.
The Court in Lokoja, Kogi State, ordered that the lawmaker, representing Kogi West Senatorial District at the national Assembly be kept in police custody and brought to court on June 11, which is the next adjourned date.
In his submission, Counsel to the Senator, Mike Ozekhome argued that the court had the powers by virtue of the Constitution to try the case and quoted Section 60 of the Penal Code which stated that the offence of conspiracy is bailable according to the Kogi State Administration of Criminal Justice code
Brought to court in a police ambulance at about 9:17 am, the Senator was stretchered into the court room by policemen. Heavily armed policemen has taken positions within and outside the court premises to forestall unforeseen circumstances before his arrival, which attracted the attention of workers and those that were around for their different businesses.
However, with other courts within the premises not sitting as at the time of this report, journalists and persons already seated in the court room for hours were all excused to step out for proper security checks with only few allowed inside after the exercise.
Before arriving at the court premises, Senator Melaye was first taken to the SARS headquarters near the NTA office in Lokoja. The lawmaker was declared wanted following his refusal to appear before the police to answer to accusations by some arrested suspects, who alleged that he supplied them with arms and ammunition.
Reports indicated that Senator Melaye was conveyed in an ambulance by the police authorities to Lokoja and was later brought into the Lokoja Senior Magistrates’ Court, 2, on a stretcher. Eyewitness accounts confirmed that he was brought in a Toyota Hiace Police ambulance bus with registration number NPF2214D.
To face the pending criminal case in Kogi, Senator Melaye was re-arrested by the Police on Wednesday after his arraignment in court and perfecting his bail conditions on Wednesday at Chief Magistrate Court in Wuse in Abuja and was granted bail in the sum of N90 million by the court.
A Police statement had explained that the lawmaker was re-arrested for his pending offences of criminal conspiracy and unlawful possession of prohibited firearms.
Signed by the Force Public Relations Officer, Jimoh Moshood, the statement said; “The Police investigation team re-arrested Senator Dino Melaye today, 2nd May 2018 after his arraignment at Chief Magistrate Court, Wuse for the pending offences of Criminal Conspiracy and Unlawful Possession of Prohibited Firearms already filed in a Court of competent jurisdiction in Lokoja for which he will be arraigned without further delay.”
According to Moshood, Senator Melaye was arraigned in Abuja today for criminal conspiracy, causing damage to government property, attempted suicide and escape from lawful custody.
It further stated that Melaye’s arraignment in court on Thursday was subsequent to his discharge from the National Hospital after being confirmed fit for trial.
On Tuesday, April 24, 2018, he was taken to the hospital after reportedly jumping out of a moving police vehicle conveying him to Lokoja, Kogi State where he was expected to be interrogated in connection with the allegation of arming some thugs as well as involvement in other criminal activities.
Consequently, the Police accused him of attempting to commit suicide by jumping out of the vehicle conveying him and falling on the ground, with a threat to implicate the police for his supposed death.
The Senator was also alleged to have resisted further attempt by the police to re-arrest him with the help of some persons who purportedly threatened to injure the police officers if they tried to arrest him.- With Agency report