[UPDATE] Dino Melaye Jumps Off Moving Police Car, Hospitalised

Embattled Kogi West Senator, Dino Melaye, has reportedly sustained severe injuries after jumping off from a moving police vehicle while being conveyed to Lokoja, Kogi, on Tuesday.

This is coming few hours after Melaye was arrested by the Special Anti-Robbery Squared (SARS) of the police in Abuja.

According to reports, the Senator has been hospitalised at Zanklin Hospital, Abuja, where he is currently undergoing treatment.

Meanwhile, the police, in a statement by the Deputy Force Public Relations Officer, SP Aremu Adeniran, confirmed earlier that Senator Melaye turned himself in at the Nigeria Police Force headquarters for questioning.

The Force said the federal lawmaker had surrendered himself to answer questions to the criminal indictments levelled against him by some suspected political thugs in Kogi.

Recall that the police had previously filed charges of “criminal conspiracy and unlawful possession of prohibited firearms, kidnapping, armed robbery, murder,” amongst other violent crimes against the Senator Melaye at their headquarters in Kogi State.

In the statement today, the police recalled that “working on actionable intelligence, the Kogi State Police Command personnel and Federal Special Anti-Robbery Squad trailed and arrested two suspects KABIRU SAIDU a.k.a OSAMA “31 YRS” and NUHU SALISU a.k.a SMALL “25 YRS” on the 19th January, 2018 at Ogojueje in Dekina Local Government Area of Kogi State. During investigation, they confessed to the various criminal roles they played in the commission of several kidnappings and Armed Robbery in different towns across Kogi State and its environs for which they have been on the wanted list of the Police for more than two years now.

“The gang leader KABIRU SAIDU a.k.a OSAMA revealed that he and his gang have been working as a Political Thug for one Alh. Mohammed Audu a Politician in the State and that Alh. Mohammed Audu invited him to Abuja and introduced him to Senator Dino Melaye and they met on Airport road, Abuja inside the Senator Dino Melaye’s Car in the month of December, 2017.

“He further revealed that Senator Dino Melaye handed over a bag containing one (1) AK47 rifle, two (2) Pump Action guns and the sum of four hundred and thirty thousand naira N430, 000.00 to share with his boys.

“Consequent on this indictment on the Senator, The Nigeria Police Force, sent a letter of investigation activities/invitation dated and acknowledged on 2nd March, 2018 addressed to the Senate President, Federal Republic of Nigeria informing and requesting him to release Senator Dino Melaye to report to the Police on the 7th March, 2018 to answer to criminal offences of Conspiracy and Unlawful Possession of Prohibited Firearms levelled against him, and another separate letter was equally written in this regard, this was to enable the Police Investigation Team carryout a discreet and thorough investigation into the case. But Senator Dino Melaye refused to honour the Police invitations.

“Sequel to his refusal to honour Police invitations, he was therefore watch listed through the Nigeria Police INTERPOL Office and in compliance to the INTERPOL’s “Watch List”, the officers of the Nigerian Immigration Service intercepted and collected his International Passport from him at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja. While this was on, he snatched the Passport from the officers at the Airport and bolted away to his house.

“In furtherance to this, the Police obtained a warrant of arrest and trailed him to his house at Maitama, Abuja and cordon off the place. He however surrendered himself to the Police this morning, 24th April, 2018 for investigation on the allegations against him.

“The Nigeria Police Force will continue to sustain the Rule of Law and maintain Law and Order throughout the Country.”