The Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Ibrahim Idris, has failed to appear before the senate – the second time in one week.
The senate had summoned him over the alleged maltreatment of Dino Melaye, senator representing Kogi west and also on the incessant killings in various parts of the country.
Idris was supposed to appear before the lawmakers last week but he did not. He had accompanied President Muhammadu Buhari to Bauchi, thereby sending a representative in his place.
This made the legislators angry and they asked him to appear unfailingly on Wednesday but Idris sent Joshak Habilah, deputy inspector-general, to represent him.
He gave an excuse that he was in Kaduna state on an official assignment regarding insecurity.
Ahmad Lawan, leader of the senate, and Abu Ibrahim, chairman of the senate committee on police affairs, were directed to convey the red chamber’s displeasure to Idri as he was re-summoned.
Melaye is currently in hospital where he is being treated for injuries sustained after jumping out of a moving vehicle.
The senator, accused of gun running, was at the time being taken by the police to a Kogi court where he was due to be arraigned for the alleged offence.
Prior to the attempted escape, he had been detained at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, while trying to travel abroad, and was later prevented from travelling.
During one of their sittings, some of Melaye’s colleagues at the upper legislative chamber had accused the police of “harassing” the senator.
The IGP is also expected to explain is being done to curtail the increased spate of killings being experienced in the country.
…he is known for disobeying orders, did same to PMB – Saraki
The Senate President, Dr Bukola Saraki has said he is not surprised that the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Ibrahim Idris, refused to appear before the senate for the second time.
Speaking on Wednesday, Saraki said the IGP also disobeyed President Muhammadu Buhari when he was asked to relocate to Benue state over the killings but did not stay for more than 24 hours in the state.
“Again, we cannot say it is just to us because the president told us that he told him to go to Benue and the man refused to go,” Saraki said.
He added that the IGP’s failure to appear before the upper legislative chamber endangers the nation’s democracy.
“Under constitutional powers, it is required of the IG to come and give a report on the incident involving a colleague and the incessant killings happening in the country,” he said.
“Since beginning of the year, over 500 or 600 have been killed and we believe that the man in charge of enforcing this does not think he needs to sit down with senate to engage with us when there is something wrong somewhere.
“He has felt that he cannot come and wants to delegate it to a junior to come. No IG has ever refused to appear before the senate since we started practicing democracy. I don’t think that has happened before. But we must know these actions are danger to our democracy.”
He asked the senate leader and the chairman of committee on police affairs to “engage with the executive and send our position.”
“So let us hold and give them time within a week and come back to us and I am sure that wisdom would prevail,” he said.
…Melaye gets N90m bail, re-arrested in court
The court yesterday granted the senator representing Kogi west, Dino Melaye a N90 million bail, asking him to provide two sureties after police had re-arrested.
The senator was arrested after he was arraigned before a magistrate court in Abuja, on Wednesday.
He was brought on a stretcher but journalists were prevented from going into the court premises.
However, armed policemen took over the court, preventing vehicular human movements.
The lawmaker was in the company of his lawyers until a police ambulance was brought with over 100 armed personnel.
Recall that Melaye landed in the hospital after he sustained injuries when he jumped out of a moving vehicle conveying him to a court in Kogi for a gun running case.
Prior to the attempted escape, he had been detained at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, while trying to travel abroad, and was later prevented from travelling.
Melaye has accused Yahaya Bello, governor of Kogi, of being behind his plight.
…charged with attempted suicide as police insist on Kogi trial
The police have said they arrested senator representing Kogi west, Dino Melaye after being granted bail in court as a result of pending charges against him.
Melaye was arrested yesterday after he was granted bail in a magistrate court in Abuja where he was charged with attempted suicide, criminal conspiracy and causing damage to government property.
The court granted him a N90 million bail, asking him to provide two sureties, but not long after, he was again taken into police custody.
In a statement sent to The Cable, police spokesman, Jimoh Moshood, said the bail granted the senator does not cover the alleged offences for which he was first arrested for.
The police had earlier filed a case of criminal conspiracy and unlawful possession of prohibited firearms against the senator at a Kogi court.
Moshood said Melaye will be arraigned without further delay in Kogi for the said offences.
Below is the full statement from the police:
Senator Dino Melaye was arraigned in court by the Police today, 2nd May, 2018 at Chief Magistrate Court, Wuse, Abuja for Criminal conspiracy, causing damage to Government property, attempted suicide and escape from lawful custody. His arraignment in Court today was subsequent to his discharge from the National Hospital after he was confirmed fit for trial.
- It will be recalled that, on the 24th April, 2018, at about 1200Hrs, Sen. Dino Melaye while in lawful custody of the Nigeria Police Force and being taken for arraignment for Conspiracy and Unlawful Possession of Prohibited Firearms in Court in Lokoja, from Abuja, escaped from lawful custody when hoodlums and miscreants in Two (2) Toyota Hilux Vehicles blocked the Police vehicle conveying Senator Dino Melaye around Area 1 Round About, Abuja and in the process the Senator broke the side glass of the vehicle and jumped out of the Police bus through the window and was rescued from the Police men by hoodlums and miscreants to an unknown destination before he was rearrested at Zankli Hospital in Abuja later in the day on same date. This case was investigated and that is why the Senator was arraigned in court today.
- Meanwhile, 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.
