What we'll do now Dino Melaye has surrendered

The police on Friday acknowledged that controversial senator, Dino Melaye, has surrendered days after the police laid siege to his house in Abuja.

The police laid siege to Mr Melaye’s house last week Friday after the lawmaker allegedly refused to appear before the police for questioning. He is wanted for his alleged role in the shooting of a police officer who is still in the hospital, the police said.

PREMIUM TIMES reported the start of the siege during which Mr Melaye said he was not in the house and was outside Abuja.

That turned out to be false as he appeared from inside the house on Friday, eight days later, and surrendered to police officers present. Some lawmakers from Mr Melaye’s political party, PDP, were also present to accompany him to the police headquarters.

Reacting to the surrender in a statement by its spokesperson, Jimoh Moshood, the police said Mr Melaye “is currently in police custody for investigation, and subsequently, taken to police hospital, Abuja for medical attention and he is in stable condition.”

The police said it would charge Mr Melaye to court “on completion of investigation.”

Read Mr Moshood’s full statement below.

Senator Dino Melaye wanted by the Police for criminal conspiracy and attempted culpable homicide, committed on 19th July 2018, when Senator Dino Melaye and his armed thugs attacked Police personnel, shot and wounded SGT Danjuma Saliu on stop and search duty along Aiyetoro Gbede, Mopa Road in Kogi State has surrendered to the Police Investigation Team on wait at his residence, today, 4th January, 2019 at about 1500hrs.

2. The Police Officer, Sgt. Danjuma Saliu, is yet to recover from the gunshot injury he sustained during the attack and still under intensive medical care in the hospital.

3. The Police Investigation Team had since 28th December, 2018 at about 1000hrs arrived the residence of Senator Dino Melaye with a duly obtained Warrant of Arrest to effect his arrest to answer to a case of Criminal Conspiracy and Attempted Culpable Homicide against him under investigation in the Kogi State Police Command. Senator Dino Melaye on sighting the Police Team locked up himself in the building to evade arrest.

Jimoh Moshood, Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO)

4. The Warrant of Arrest was obtained after Senator Dino Melaye refused to honour Police invitation dated 23rd July, 2018, signed by the Commissioner of Police, Kogi State Police Command addressed to the Clerk, National Assembly, Abuja, inviting Senator Dino Melaye to report on 26th July, 2018 at 1100Hrs at the Kogi State Police Command, CIID, Lokoja to answer to a case of Criminal Conspiracy and Attempted Culpable Homicide against him under investigation in the Kogi State Police Command.

5. The Police Investigation Team cordoned off the building and continued to be in wait for eight (8) days for Senator Dino Melaye to obey the law and surrender himself for arrest.

6. While the Police Investigation Team was waiting, Senator Dino Melaye granted an interview monitored on Television Stations that he was not in Abuja. This claim eventually was discovered to be completely false as Senator Dino Melaye surrendered to the waiting Police Investigation Team today at his residence in Abuja at about 1500hrs.

7. Senator Dino Melaye is currently in Police custody for investigation, and subsequently, taken to Police hospital, Abuja for medical attention and he is in stable condition. Investigation into the case of criminal conspiracy and attempted culpable homicide against him is on-going.

8. The case will be taken to court on completion of investigation.