Police denies assassination attempt on Dino Melaye, asks Kogi West Senator to report

It is as a resort of things like this, one of the sources said, “The police inviting Melaye to report is imperative because, it is now becoming rampant that these politicians who have been widely proved to be behind the killings in the country are now resorting to framing attacks themselves only to turn round and either allege their attempted assassination by some hated other politicians or security people.”

A new twist may have been unfolded in the worrisome killing of policemen on duty in parts of the country following report Senator Dino Melaye’s armed guards fired at a team of policemen on patrol duties in Kogi State whereas the senator went round and alleged policemen and military troops on patrol duties attempted to assassinate him.

To this end, the Kogi State Police Command, which has denied Melaye’s claim of attempted assassination on him, has summoned him to report at the State Criminal and Investigation Department after it became clear to the Nigeria’s foremost security agency that it was the senator’s armed guards in reality that fired on a team of policemen on patrol duties in the state.

A police sergeant was the victim of the shooting, the police said and is recuperating in the hospital.

The Kogi Police Command asked Melaye to report at the SCIID office in the state capital, in the company of his armed guards, as investigation began on the shooting.

The Police said in a statement signed by its state PPRO, DSP William Ovye Aya, Melaye’s allegation that he was shot at by the police is untrue.

On the contrary, the police said that Melaye’s guards opened fire first, which was responded to by the police on patrol duties.

In posts on Instagram, Melaye did not mention any shooting incident. However, he claimed the police tried to block his convoy with a grader, parked on a bridge, while he was on his way to Yagba east to commission some projects but, according to him, his convoy avoided the blockade.

In another Instagram post, the senator said the state government barricaded the road to stop his movement.

It was on Twitter that the senator claimed an attempt was made on his life during the visit to his state.

He claimed over 20 bullets were fired at his jeep by a combination of policemen, men of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) and the military.

“I thank God for spearing (sic) my life once again.  Over 20 bullets holes on my jeep. Combination of police, SARS and military. God I thank you.

The police statement reproduced below, according to a media report, contradicted Senator Dino Melaye’s account.

The Police said, “Today, at about 1530 hours, a team of policemen from the Command was on a routine Anti–Robbery/Kidnapping patrol along Aiyetoro Gbede–Mopa Road.

“During the patrol, and as it is often the practice, the team pinned down at a point at Iyah Gbede Junction, where they were observing the highway and occasionally conducting Stop and Search.

“It was in this process a long convoy of vehicles coming from Mopa towards Aiyetoro Gbede approached the Point. Officers of the Command at the Point flagged down the convoy. While the lead vehicle, a Toyota Hilux van, which was later discovered to be conveying officers of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps, stopped to introduce themselves, other vehicles in the convoy dangerously zoomed off without regards to the safety of the officers on ground.

“Surprisingly, some plain clothed armed men, occupying a white Toyota Hilux van, without registration number, without provocation fired gunshots at the officers of the Anti-Robbery /Kidnapping Patrol Team.

“One of the officers, a Sergeant, was hit by bullet on the right part of his chest as a result of which he sustained grievous injury.

“The Officer is currently lying critically ill in the hospital where he has undergone a live threatening surgery and currently recuperating.

“Expectedly, the policemen in self-defence responded by firing back to repel the unexpected attack. Vehicles in the convoy nevertheless, drove away from the scene. It was not until the officers of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps were questioned that it was realised that the convoy was that of Senator Dino Melaye.

“It is rather unfortunate that the Senator could after this dastardly act by his aides, be going around with armed men, unknown to the Command who could launch such a lethal attack on police officers in the course of their normal duty.

“It is more saddening that the Senator could turn around to issue misleading statements to cover up the heinous crime committed by his hired aides

“While, the command has instituted a high powered investigation panel into the incident, Senator Melaye is hereby advised to report with people in his convoy to the office of the Deputy Commissioner of Police, State Criminal Intelligence and Investigation Department, Lokoja to assist in the investigation.”

The DEFENDER’s investigations revealed that politicians’ current tactics in their anti-security agencies plots is to frame against at that themselves only to go round and raise alarm how either the police or military or even members of governing party want to assassinate them.  Recent events proved this revelations against Dino Melaye, Governor Ayodele Fayose and even Mr. Olisa Metuh who a Federal High Court judge exposed as falling down by himself turning his court to drama theater feigning serious illness.

It will recalled how Melaye raised similar alarm in the past claiming some politicians of loyal to Governor of Kogi State, Alhaji Yahya Bello, opened fires at him in his house but that he thanked God for his narrow escape only for the police who arrested politicians, whom he suspected and asked the police to arrest, to discover that the controversial was lying.  The senator is on trial currently for “misinforming the police” over that matter.

It would also be recalled how Melaye jumped out of police vehicle claiming he was teargased yet the policemen in the same vehicle with him were proved not to have been affected by the teargas and all the drama that followed.  He is also being prosecuted for trying to kill himself and other charges on that.

The latest is this fresh claim, now not against politicians wanting to assassinate him but that police and military operatives attempted to assassinate, which again the police interim report appears to have faulted but rather proved it was Melaye himself whose armed guards attempted to kill policemen on their normal patrol duties.

Nigerians particularly the security community is worried lately about the sudden development where policemen on duties are now the target of killers following over four killed in Abuja, five burnt to death in Benin and more killed in other places.

Our investigations revealed further that the activities of the armed forces and the police as well as officers of the State Security Service (SSS) have made it difficult for politically sponsored and Boko Haram terrorists sustain their supplies as our sources suggested that killing of police like they did to innocent villages now may have been as a resort of killing to survive which happened in villages where they killed Fulani herdsmen and took their cows and which happened on highway where they ambushed security men, killed and cart away their weapons to continue to be in action.

It is as a resort of things like this, one of the sources said, “The police inviting Melaye to report is imperative because, it is now becoming rampant that these politicians who have been widely proved to be behind the killings in the country are now resorting to framing attacks themselves only to turn round and either allege their attempted assassination by some hated other politicians or security people.”