Politics
Melaye arraigned in court again for attempted suicide
Senator Dino Melaye, one of the senators who dumped the All Progressives Congress (APC) on Tuesday, was on Wednesday arraigned before a Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court, Apo, Abuja.
The senator who represents Kogi West at the Senate, was arraigned on a six-count charge bordering on attempted suicide, attempt to escape from custody and damage of police property.
Recall that Melaye had been arraigned before the Magistrates’ Court Wuse on the same charges earlier before now and was granted bail.
On Wednesday after the charges was read out to him, Melaye denied committing the offences and was subsequently granted bail by Justice Silvanus Oriji in the sum of N5 million.
The Judge also ordered him to produce two sureties in like sum, as part of the bail condition, adding that the sureties must be directors in the civil service, reside in the FCT, and depose to affidavits of means.
Earlier, the prosecuting counsel, Dr Alex Izinyon (SAN), had narrated before the court how the defendant allegedly committed the offences on April 24.
According to him, Melaye, while being conveyed in a police vehicle to Lokoja, forced his way out and escaped. He went further to tell the court that the defendant sat on the ground, holding a substance in one hand threatening to drink it to kill himself so that he can put the police officers in trouble.
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Izinyon also said that the defendant broke the glass of the vehicle with his elbow and caused damage to police property. These alleged offences he argued, contravened the provisions of Sections 148,153,173,231, 326 and 327 of the Penal Code.
Melaye’s counsel, Chief Mike Ozekhome (SAN), had prayed the court to allow the bail granted to the defendant at the Magistrates’ Court Wuse on the same charges to continue.
After the prosecution opposed the application on the argument that bail is at the discretion of the court, Justice Orji upheld the submission of the prosecution and gave the new bail conditions and said that the case would be assigned to another judge by the chief judge after the vacation.
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