After eight days of hiding from police arrest, Senator representing Kogi West senatorial zone in the National Assembly, Mr. Dino Melaye, has emerged from his hiding and surrendered to the police.
The Police had accused Melaye of attempt to kill a police officer who was carrying out his duty. The officer was allegedly shot and wounded by Melaye’s thugs and has been receiving treatment since then.
Operatives of the Police on Friday December 28th, laid siege on Melaye’s Maitama residence ensuring that nobody came out or went into his house.
The day the police stormed Melaye’s house they reportedly manhandled the senator’s personal security personnel to gain entry into the House.
After a few days the police were said to have cut off water and power supply to the house in order to smoke the senator out of the house. The police insisted that they would maintain the siege until the senator surrenders himself for arrest.
Melaye attempted to use the law courts to get the police to vacate his house but the court denied his prayers, saying the police were guided by the law in their action.
There were overtures by senators who felt that the police action against Melaye was an affront on the Nigerian senate, to get the Inspector General of Police, IGP Ibrahim Idris, to withdraw his operatives from Melaye’s residence but this too was abortive.
However, After some senators made contact with Melaye and advised him to brave the police confrontation and surrender himself, he finally agreed to come out of hiding.
Some of the senators paid Dino a visit inside the Maitama home on Friday, January 4th and afterwards escorted him to the Police headquarters to meet with the Inspector General of Police, Ibrahim Idris.
Melaye was said to have collapsed right in front of the senators when he saw them in his house.