Melaye collapses after surrendering to Police in Abuja

Senator Dino Melaye suffered an asthmatic attack and collapsed after surrendering to officers of the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) in Abuja on Friday, January 4, 2019.

Police officers had invaded Melaye’s Abuja home on Friday, December 28, 2018 to arrest him for his alleged involvement in the shooting of a police officer, Sgt Danjuma Saliu, in July 2018.

The lawmaker refused to surrender to the authorities and made several social media posts to taunt and accuse the Police of persecution.

However, he finally left his Maitama home on Friday to surrender to the authorities after fellow lawmakers paid him a visit to persuade him to resolve the situation amicably.

However, Senator Melaye was acting weak after he surrendered and was helped into the Police car that transported him to the Guzape office of the Federal Special Anti-Robbery Squad (FSARS) where he eventually collapsed on the floor.

The lawmaker appeared to suffer from an asthma attack but his inhaler only made the situation worse. He’s believed to have now been moved to an undisclosed hospital for medical treatment.

Why Melaye is in Police trouble

Melaye took to his Twitter account late on July 19, 2018 to raise alarm over an assassination attempt on his life which he alleged was carried out by the police and military.

He tweeted, “I thank God for spearing (sic) my life once again. Over 20 bullets holes on my jeep. Combination of police,SARS and military. God I thank you.”

In a statement signed by the spokesperson of the Kogi Command, DSP William Aya, he said the senator deliberately twisted the facts of the matter as it was his security aides who shot and injured a police sergeant first.

He said Melaye’s convoy had been flagged down by officers of the Anti-Robbery/Kidnapping Patrol Team on a stop-and-search operation when they were fired upon after some of the vehicles in the convoy refused to stop.

DSP Aya said the officers only fired back in self-defence at the vehicles, which escaped from the scene, before they found out that it was the lawmaker’s convoy.

He then called on Melaye to report with the people in his convoy to the State Criminal Intelligence and Investigation Department, Lokoja, to assist in the investigation.

Despite another notification sent to the office of the Clerk of the National Assembly for the lawmaker to appear for questioning, he failed to honour the invitation.

Officers previously attempted to arrest the lawmaker in his Kogi home in October 2018, an attempt that he also alleged was an assassination attempt sponsored by the Kogi State government.