Kogi Shooting: I Will Honour Police’s Invitation – Dino Melaye
Dino Melaye, the lawmaker representing Kogi West Senatorial District, has said he will honour the invitation by the police.
He disclosed this in an interview with Channels Television on Saturday, a day after the police accused some persons in his convoy of attacking their personnel in Kogi State.
“The account of the police is false and illogical,” the lawmaker said, adding, “I will honour the invitation of the Kogi State Police Command on Thursday, despite the attempts on my life.”
Senator Melaye had accused the police of shooting at his convoy on his way to inaugurate a project at his constituency on Thursday in Kogi.
He explained that he was riding in a convoy of about 20 vehicles headed for the scheduled event and his cars were the second and third, having being led by the out riding Hilux vehicle of the personnel of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC).
The lawmaker noted that the police claimed that the vehicles at the back shot at them and wondered why “they shot at my cars which were in the second and third on the convoy.”
He alleged that the incident clearly indicated an attempt on his life if not for his bulletproof vehicles, claiming that the gunshots were directed at the owner’s sitting side of the cars.
Melaye purported further that after the scenario which played out on the road, there was another attack on his house in Aiyetoro where gunshots were fired sporadically.
He also said he had written to the police and the NSCDC through his lawyer, to seek protection for his planned visit.
The lawmaker claimed that while the NSCDC deployed some personnel to escort him, there was no provision made by the police.
On the other hand, the police said they were aware of the senator’s visit and had already deployed personnel to strategic points in the state.
The Commissioner of Police in Kogi, Mr Ali Janga, told reporters on Friday that part of the personnel deployed were those involved in the incident in which an officer was fatally injured.
He insisted that Senator Melaye was not attacked, but the police repelled an alleged initial attack by some individuals on his convoy.
“Unidentified civilians inside (a vehicle in the convoy) decided to open fire on my policemen. You don’t expect the police to fold their arms; eventually, they replied and opened fire too. Nobody attacked Dino but rather, his convoy attacked by policemen and they repelled,” Janga had said.
He said they had invited the lawmaker for questioning, noting that the police would not hesitate to declare Melaye wanted should he ignore their invite.
