POLICE ARREST CRIMINAL SUSPECTS ALLEGEDLY ARMED BY DINO MELAYE

Two suspected criminals paraded by Nigeria Police Force in Lokoja, the Kogi state capital on Monday has named Senator Dino Melaye from Kogi West Senatorial District for arming them with weapons against 2019 election.

The suspects Kabir Saidu a.k.a ‘Osama’ and Nuhu Saliu a.k.a ‘Small’ were said to have been on the police wanted list for the past two years were arrested in January by the Kogi state police command and Federal special Anti- Robbery Squad.

Parading the suspects before Journalists at the State Police headquarters, Force Public Relations Officer, Jimoh Moshood said that the suspects were arrested after a gun battle with the police team that lasted for some hours on the 19 January 2018 at Ogojueje in Dekina Local Government Area of Kogi state.

Moshood said that during the investigation, they confessed to the various criminal roles they played in the commission of several kidnappings and armed robbery in different towns across Kogi state and its environs for which they have been on the wanted list if the police for more than two years now.

He said the suspects, during interrogation, confessed they were political thugs recruited by some mischievous politicians in Kogi state to cause mayhem and disruption of peace and destruction of lives and property in the state.

According to him, the gang leader said he met Senator Dino Melaye at the airport road, Abuja inside His car on the 27 December, 2017 when he told him to start working for him.

However, Senator Dino Melaye in his reaction through a telephone conversation said it was a framed up and an orchestrated attempt by the state government to discredit him.

The senator said he had never seen the suspects in his life and did not have anything to do with them.

Continuing, ACP Mashood said the suspects further confessed that Senator Dino Melaye gave him a sum of N430,000 to recruit and train more other thugs to work for him in preparation towards 2019 general election to enable him challenge his political opponents and disorganise Kogi state.

” Consequent on the indictments and criminal confessions against Senator Dino Melaye by the principal suspect, Kabiru Saidu a.k.a Osama, 31 years, Nigeria police force wrote a letter dated 2nd of March, 2018 to answer to criminal offences levelled against him to enable the police carry a discrete investigation into the confession of the principal suspect against Senator Dino Melaye. But Senator Dino Melaye has refused to honour the police invitation till date.” He said

” A case of criminal conspiracy and unlawful possession of prohibited firearms have therefore been filled by the Nigeria police force at federal high court, Lokoja” ACP Mashood added.