From Bayo Oyewale, Lokoja
A High Court sitting in Lokoja, the Kogi State capital has adjourned a case of criminal conspiracy, culpable homicide and attempted murder of Senator Dino Melaye filed against the Administrator of Ijumu Local Government Area, Alhaji Taofiq Isah.
The trial Judge, Justice Arome Akoji adjourned the case till 5th October, 2017 to enable the prosecution to bring more witnesses as the case proceeds.
This followed the application filed by the prosecution counsel to call more witnesses in the suit.
Earlier, the state All Local Government of Nigeria (ALGON) Chairman and the Administrator of Ijumu Local Government, Isah denied sending anyone to attack Melaye, the Senator representing Kogi West senatorial district.
The Local government boss told the court that he has no knowledge of those that allegedly attacked the lawmaker.
This was contained in his written statement tendered as exhibit by the prosecution at the resumed hearing of the case.
The prosecution counsel, Lough Simon, had called the Investigating Police Officer (IPO) in the case, Abdul Aminu, as a prosecution witness.
However under cross examination by the defence counsel, Abdulahi Aliyu, SAN, the witness confirmed that the statement of the local government administrator was taken in his presence.
In the said statement, Isa said he didn’t send anybody on any mission involving attack on the senator.
The statement read in part, “I never sent anybody to attack Dino, my duty is to protect, I don’t know those attack him, I have never carried any arm to political rallies before.
“Myself and Dino have differences, he wanted to nominate somebody as the administrator of Ijumu local government area. I was in the hospital looking after my wife who was on admission when the said attack took place”.
The statement was however accepted and marked as exhibit by Justice Akoju following no objection by the defence counsels.
The exhibit keeper of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of the “A” division, the state police command, Inspector Sule Ibrahim, had tendered two double barrel guns recovered during investigation into the case as exhibit before the court.
The guns were recovered from the security men attached to Isa, who said he was a member of the vigilante group operating in the area.
