Masked policemen on Friday stormed the the police clinic in Garki, Abuja where Dino Melaye, the Senator representing Kogi West, was receiving treatment, and forcibly removed the lawmaker.
Witnesses say that Melaye was taken from his hospital bed into an unmarked vehicle and drove away.
Reports indicate that the operatives had planned to take the lawmaker to Lokoja, Kogi State, for interrogation over the alleged shooting of one Sgt. Danjuma Aliu by suspected political thugs, but later changed their mind and moved him to the Department of State Services’ medical facility along Airport Road, Abuja following public outcry..
the witnesses say the evacuation of the lawmaker was carried out around 2:15 pm in commando style.
The senator was arrested last week after police laid siege on his home in Maitama, Abuja, for eight days.
He turned himself in after hiding in the house for days. Mr Melaye has been in the hospital since then.
Police accuse the senator of being involved in the shooting of an officer in his native Kogi State.
Meanwhile, the Police have confirmed that they took Senator Dino Melaye to the Department of State Security (DSS) hospital on Friday.
Police spokesman, Moshood Jimoh, Acting Deputy Commissioner of Police, in a statement said that Melaye was taken away from the police clinic to another government-owned medical facility after the senator and the police disagreed about his fitness to face trial.
According to Jimoh, “The Police medical team at the Police Hospital, Abuja certified that Senator Dino Melaye is well and healthy to stand trial after treating him. However, due to the complaint from Senator Dino Melaye that he is not well, the Police Investigation Team has taken him this afternoon to another government hospital, DSS Medical Facility in Abuja for further medical attention,” Mr. Moshood said.
The police spokesman said the police have obtained a warrant of arrest from a Federal Capital Territory High Court to keep the embattled senator for 14 days, starting from January 9.
“The Police Investigation Team obtained a Fourteen (14) day Remand Warrant from the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court on 9th January, 2019, to keep Senator Dino Melaye in Police Custody for investigation into the case of criminal conspiracy and attempted culpable homicide against him till 23rd January, 2019,” he said.
