The Nigeria Police Force, Kogi State Command has declared Senator representing Kogi West, Dino Melaye, wanted.
Commissioner of Police in the state, Ali Janga, disclosed this at a press conference, yesterday.
Janga said two suspects, Kabiru Seidu alias Osama and Nuhu Salisu alias Small, who accused Melaye of supplying arms to them, have escaped from custody.
He said they fled from a police division in Lokoja where they were being kept in “lawful custody”.
According to him, four others escaped along with Seidu and Salisu, bringing the total number of fleeing suspects to six.
He said both Seidu and Salisu escaped on Wednesday when they were supposed to be arraigned before a Federal High Court in Lokoja, alongside Melaye and Mohammed Audu, son of the late former governor of Kogi Abubakar Audu.
The Commissioner identified Aliyu Isa, Adams Suleiman, Emmanuel Audu and Musa Mohammed as four other suspects that escaped from custody.
He said 13 policemen comprising five operatives of Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) and eight conventional policemen on duty when the incident happened had been detained for interrogation.
He said the police sought the assistance of Interpol in arresting the suspects.
“The Nigeria Police Force, Kogi state police command today 28th March 2018 received a news that six suspected criminal elements namely; Kabiru Seidu a.k.a Osama, Nuhu Salisu a.k.a Small, Aliyu Isa, Adams Suleiman, Emmanuel Audu and Musa Mohammed who were under detention at the ‘A’ Division Lokoja escaped from lawful custody,” the statement read.
“Investigation into the unfortunate incident is ongoing, while the 13 police officers who were on duty when the incident occurred were defaulted and detained for interrogation.
“The names of Melaye, Mohammed Audu and six suspects have been sent for watch listing and red notice by the INTERPOL for immediate arrest anywhere we see them.”
He appealed to the public to assist the police with information on the whereabouts of the suspects by reporting to the nearest police station.
… produce my accusers dead or alive, says senator
Senator representing Kogi West, Dino Melaye, has threatened to sue the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Ibrahim Idris, if he does not produce two suspects who levelled allegations against him.
The police had accused Melaye of arming the suspects for robbery and kidnapping.
Speaking on the floor of the senate, yesterday, Melaye said instead of producing the suspects in court, the prosecutor asked the judge to issue an arrest warrant.
The senator said there are rumours that the suspects might have been killed. He, therefore, urged the police to produce them “dead or alive”.
“Mr President, we were all supposed to appear before the Lokoja High Court this morning. My lawyers were in court at 9am and the case was called up and the prosecutor of the Nigerian Police could not produce the two persons,” he said.
“Instead of producing the two persons, they asked the judge to issue a bench warrant for an arrest but the judge refused to grant their prayers and the judge said despite the fact that I have not been served, I sent representation to the court. And the main accused persons are absent in court
“So, she cannot grant a bench warrant and the matter has been adjourned till May 10. Mr President, I want to use the opportunity and on the principle of justice to call on the Inspector-General of Police that within 48 hours, he must produce these accused persons because they are presumed innocent until proven guilty they also have right to life.
“So, police must as a matter of urgency produce these two accused persons. Failure to do so, I will sue the IG for mental assault. Nigeria is not a Banana Republic. They cannot escape, he must produce them dead or alive.”
Meanwhile, despite being declared wanted by the police, Melaye, was escorted by policemen in and out of the National Assembly complex.
…IG sacks CP, deploys IRT to Kogi
The Inspector General of Police, Ibrahim Idris, has removed the Commissioner of Police in Kogi State, Ali Janga, following a jailbreak in the state.
Idris announced this in a statement by the Force Public Relations Officer, Jimoh Moshood, yesterday, in Abuja, the nation’s capital.
The decision comes hours after Janga announced that six suspects, including two men who accused Senator Dino Melaye of supplying their arms, escaped from police custody in Lokoja, the state capital.
In a related development, the IG has ordered the immediate deployment of operatives of the IGP Intelligence Response Team, Special Tactical Squad and Personnel of the Force Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department to Kogi State.
This followed the sudden disappearance from the custody of the police in Kogi State of six men, two of who levelled allegations of gun running against Senator Dino Melaye.
The two suspects, Kabiru Seidu, popularly known as Osama, and Nuhu Salisu, aka Small, were said to have disappeared from the cell where they were being held.
They said Melaye, the representative of Kogi West Senatorial District, handed over guns and money to them ahead of instructions to make Kogi State ungovernable before, during and after the 2019 elections.
The IRT, led by Assistant Commissioner of Police Abba Kyari, has cracked several high profile criminal cases. Idris was said to have told Kyari that this case should not be an exception.
