As police laid siege, Senator Dino Melaye representing Kogi West in the National Assembly dramatically hiding in a room in his residence tweeted for public intervention to evade arrest and detention over what police called “attempted homicide case.”
While a detachment of the police paced the crannies of his compound along Mississippi Maitama, Abuja, Melaye holed himself in an undisclosed room sending minute-by-minute tweets on the police action to the public.
The force spokesman, acting DCP Moshood Jimoh, alleged in a statement on December 28 that the embattled Senator and his armed thugs shot and injured one Sgt Danjuma Saliu, attached to 37 Police Mobile Force who was on duty at a stop and search point along Aiyetoro Gbede, Mopa Road in Kogi State on July 19, 2018.
“The offence for which Melaye is being investigated is capital in nature and not compoundable,” the statement stated.
Media reports had it that as soon as the Senator sensed police police in his compound, he escaped into one of his rooms and started sending out several tweet messages.
Senator Dino Melaye(@dino_melaye) tweets on Fri, Dec 28, 2018
Two trucks with people wearing black in front on centagon school on Mississippi maitama. Toyota Siena at the entrance of Sangha street,gold colour Honda accord roaming the street
They have just zoomed off the trucks leaving 3 men at different end of my street wearing black.
Two hilux truck have now blocked my gate with men in mufti numbering 20
Cameras recording. They are trying to plant guns in the cars outside. We are watching
Police took over my Abuja residence. Beat security man to stupor and hand cuffed him and put him in a truck
But the Peoples Democratic Party Friday condemned the invasion in the residence of Melaye, describing the action as Gestapo-like attack and demanded the security officials to vacate the residence.
The statement signed by Kola Ologbondiyan, PDP Director, Media& Publicity, cautioned the Buhari Presidency to desisit from such provocative acts as such cannot bend the resolve by Nigerians to replace him with Atiku Abubakar, the PDP presidential candidate, on February 19, 2019.
Recall that the embattled Senator, had on the Christmas day alerted the general public of plot by the inspector general of Police, Ibrahim Idris to arrest and inject him to death.
“There is a plan by the IG to arrest me today and inject me to death. Men deployed already. CP kogi and others removed. Nigerians watch out”, he said.
Reacting to his accusation, Acting DCP Jimoh Moshood, the Force Public Relations Officer, in a statement, said, “There is no such order from the Inspector General of Police or any plan by the Force to arrest Senator Dino Melaye and inject him to death, but if the Senator knows he had committed any crime or he is aware of his involvement in any crime, he should come out and confess and face the legal consequences instead of whipping up sentiments to distract the public.”