DEVELOPING STORY: POLICE ANTI-ROBBERY SQUAD TRAPS DINO MELAYE INSIDE ABUJA COURT
DEVELOPING STORY: POLICE
ANTI-ROBBERY SQUAD TRAPS DINO MELAYE INSIDE ABUJA COURT
A
Nigerian senator has held himself at a federal court in Abuja, in a concerted
effort to prevent the police anti-robbery squad from arresting him.
The
stand-off, which was underway as at 7:38 p.m. Thursday, came hours after Dino
Melaye, representing Kogi West Senatorial District, secured bail on perjury
charges.
But he
stayed behind inside the court to avoid the police arrest. Statutorily, a
suspect who has been granted bail by a court and met the conditions cannot be
arrested within the court premises by security personnel.
It could
not immediately confirm why Mr. Melaye is being sought by heavily armed
officers from police Special Anti-Robbery Squad, but three different officers
confirmed to this newspaper that they surrounded the Maitama Division of the
High Court of Federal Capital Territory because of Mr. Melaye.
Ricky
Tarfa, who appeared for Mr. Melaye in the perjury case earlier today, could not
be reached for comments Thursday night. His telephone number indicated that it
had been switched off after multiply tries
Mr.
Melaye said in a tweet update from his hideout inside the court building that
Governor Yahaya Bello, his state governor and political rival, was responsible
for his latest ordeal.
A
spokesperson to the governor, Gbenga Olorunpomi, denied the allegation, telling
on Thursday night that his principal was “not involved.”
However,
while the police still surrounded the building at 8:05 p.m., an aide to Mr.
Melaye informed that his principal had left the court unnoticed.
One of
the officers laying siege at the court, however, disputed the claim; saying
they would not stand down until directed or until Mr. Melaye is arrested.
The
police officers dispersed at about 8:32 p.m. from the court, apparently without
arresting Mr. Melaye.