GUN RUNNING ALLEGATION: Police reveal date for arraignment of Melaye, other suspects

The Nigeria Police on Tuesday paraded the two arrested principal suspects in Senator Dino Melaye’s alleged gunrunning case, Kabiru Seidu aka ‘Osama’ and Nuhu Salisu aka ‘Small’.

The force also used the occasion to announce that the Kogi West senator and the suspects will be arraigned in May 2018 at the Federal High Court, Lokoja, Kogi State capital.

According to the police, a ‘Red Alert’ notice has been issued to the International Police Organization (INTERPOL), adding that it has secured a warrant for the arrest of Senator Melaye should he fail to appear in court on the set date.

The police Public Relations Officer, ACP Jimoh Moshood, assured that other principal suspects still on the run will be arrested soon.

On how they escaped from detention, the main suspect in Melaye gun saga, Kabiru Seidu aka Osama, alleged that an operative of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS), attached to ‘A’ division, aided their escape.

On how the suspects were eventually rearrested, Moshood explained that Osama was re-arrested at Tafawa Balewa LGA in Bauchi state while Small was rearrested in Ganaja village in Kogi State by combined teams of IGP’s Intelligence Response Team, Monitoring Unit and Technical Intelligence Unit.

“As a result of intense raids, cordon and search operations carried out by the police team in some identified criminal locations, in Kogi State and other states and working on active intelligence, they were rearrested,” Moshood said.

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Osama and Small had after they were initially arrested by the police, allegedly claimed that Senator Melaye handed over a bag containing one AK 47 rifle, 2 pump action guns and money to them.

However, on March 28, on the day they were to be arraigned in court in Lokoja, the duo, who were arrested on March 18, 2018, escaped along with other suspects.

Police PRO said that13 Police officers are being detained and investigated over the escape of the suspects.

 

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