Eight days after being held up in his house, Senator Dino Melaye, on Friday finally surrendered to the police.
He left his house with some lawmakers from the National Assembly who paid him a solidarity visit.
They went to the police in company of Melaye’s lawyer, Mr. Mike Ozekhome.
Melaye had been invited by the police to answer allegation of attempted murder.
He is alleged to have been with his thugs who shot and injured a police officer on the 19th July 2018.
Police spokesman Jimoh Moshood said that the police officer was yet to recover from the gunshot injury he sustained during the attack and was under intensive medical care.
An Abuja high court had on Thursday refused to grant Dino Melaye’s application to order the removal of police blockade on his residence.
The Nigerian Police Force had said its men sent to arrest Senator Dino Melaye in his residence in Abuja would not retreat until the senator surrendered himself for arrest and investigation.
According to Moshood, the officers have a duly obtained Warrant of Arrest to pick the senator, representing Kogi West.
“Senator Dino Melaye is wanted by the Police for a case of 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, attached to 37 Police Mobile Force (PMF) on stop and search duty along Aiyetoro Gbede, Mopa Road in Kogi State”, Moshood said.
“It is on record that the Police investigators submitted a Letter of 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.
“The claim by the Senate President in the Media that the Police did not submit a letter of invitation to the Clerk of the National Assembly is therefore incorrect as can be seen on attached letter with acknowledgment stamp of the Clerk, National Assembly, Abuja “24 JUL 2018“. Despite this, Senator Dino Melaye bluntly refused to report himself to the Police till date.
For avoidance of doubt, attached to this Press Release are the copies of pictures of the shot Police Officer, Sgt. Danjuma Saliu, the Police Invitation Letter addressed to the Clerk of National Assembly, Abuja and the Medical Report from the Federal Medical Centre, Lokoja, Kogi State, confirming the admission of Sgt. Danjuma Saliu into the Hospital for treatment of the gunshot injury he sustained from the attack by Senator Dino Melaye and his armed thugs while on Stop and Search duty along Aiyetoro Gbede, Mopa Road in Kogi State on 19th July, 2018.
Meanwhile, Melaye collapsed after he handed himself over to the police on Friday and was rushed to a police clinic in Garki Area 1 of Abuja, after being taken to the SARS headquarters.
A police officer who was part of the team that arrested the lawmaker in his Abuja residence on Friday confirmed the case’s latest development.
The officer said Senator Melaye was currently on bed rest as the police determined their next line of action.
He said the police’s expectation was that as soon as the lawmaker recovered, he would return to detention.
The lawmaker opened the door to the residence himself on Friday afternoon in the presence of police operatives and some senators of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
While coming out of the house, Senator Melaye slumped to the floor and was later assisted onto his feet.
He was thereafter taken to the office of the Federal Special Anti-Robbery Squad (FSARS) in Guzape, Abuja.
