GUNRUNNING ALLEGATION: Gov Bello advises Sen Melaye

Kogi State governor, Yahaya Bello has called on Senator Dino Melaye to submit himself to the police and leave him (Bello) out of the gunrunning allegation leveled against him.

Following alleged confessions of suspected members of an armed gangs in Kogi State that Melaye, who represents Kogi West at the Senate, supplies them with weapons, police in the state have been after the senator.

The Nigeria Police Force had just last Saturday vowed to declare Melaye and Alhaji Mohammed Audu wanted should they fail to comply with the court’s order.

But Melaye had claimed that Kogi State police command was conspiring with Bello to destroy him and had even accused them in a letter to the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Ibrahim Idris, and some international organizations of threats to his life.

But responding in a statement through his spokesperson, Kingsley Fanwo, Governor Bello denied having any hand in Melaye’s travail with the police and asked the lawmaker to go and face the law.

“He (Melaye) should face the issue and leave the governor out of the issues surrounding his face off with the police.

“The governor is a law-abiding citizen of Nigeria who would not involve himself in such criminality, home or abroad. No organisation has ever indicted the governor of such crime. He has respect for human life.

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“What has the governor got to do with that? Criminals were nabbed by the police and those criminals disclosed the persons behind the supply of arms to them.

“The simple thing to do here is for him to prove his case and leave the governor out of it. On our part as a government, we are pleased that our anti-crime efforts are yielding fruits. Yahaya Bello is committed to ensuring the safety of all Kogi residents. That is his primary responsibility to the people of the state.

“He has also commended the police for arresting criminals that were disturbing the peace of the state. Dino should rather face the law. The governor has nothing to do with his travails,” the statement read.

 

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