Sen Melaye arraigned on stretcher, gets bail conditions

Senator Dino Melaye was on Wednesday arraigned before a magistrate Court in Abuja by the Nigerian Police.

The senator representing Kogi West at the Senate was arraigned before the court on a stretcher.

The police ensured that newsmen were not allowed to come close to the embattled senator, while also making sure that
vehicular and human movement in the court vicinity were restricted.

Melaye has been under arrest at the National Hospital Abuja, where he has been recuperating from injuries he sustained after he allegedly jumped out of police vehicle to avoid being taken to Kogi State to answer for allegations levelled against him.

Melaye is being accused of involvement in gunrunning and giving false information on an alleged assassination attempt on his life to police in Kogi State.

The embattled senator Dino was arraigned before Magistrate Mabel Segun-Bello based on a police First Information Report (FIR) which stated that on the 24th of April 2018, about 1330hrs at Area One round-about Abuja, within the jurisdiction of the court that, “You Senator Dino Melaye of the Federal Republic of Nigeria while being conveyed in a Police White Hilux Bus with Registration number NPF 3354 D to Lokoja Kogi State to be arraigned in Court for Conspiracy and Unlawful Possession of Prohibited Firearms in Charge Number CMCL/14SC/2018 filed at the Chief Magistrate Court Lokoja, you Senator Dino Melaye intentionally broke the side windscreen of the Bus and jumped out of the bus after it was blocked by a Hilux Vehicle with registration number Kaduna MKA 603 GY occupied by your younger brother Samuel Melaye and one Barrister Amefula David Emeka and driven by yet to be unidentified person who escaped from the scene after the blockade.
“You Senator Dino Melaye after breaking the side windscreen attempted to kill yourself by jumping out of the bus and fell on the ground and thereafter started shouting that you want to kill yourself and implicate the Police for your death.

“That Police Officers who were escorting you in the bus tried to re-arrest you back to the bus but you resisted further arrest with the help of your brother Samuel Melaye and some lawyers in your company and further threatened to injure the Police officers if they try to further arrest you and you finally escaped from the scene in another Hilux vehicle”.

READ ALSO : Sen MELAYE: Again, IGP Idris shuns Senate

According to the police, Melaye had committed an offence punishable under Sections 148, 153, 172, 173, 231 and 326 of the Penal Code Act.

After listening to the charge, Dino pleaded not guilty.

The prosecution counsel, Alex Izinyon, SAN, demanded for dates for trial but Nkem Okoro, counsel representing Melaye, persuaded the court to hear his application for bail.

Okoro argued that since the crime for which the Senator is being accused of is not a capital offence, the defendant is entitled to bail “under the law”.

He relied on Section 162 of Administration of Criminal Justice Act, which sets out conditions to be considered before a bail application is granted or refused.

On his part, the prosecution counsel told the court not to grant Dino bail.

Ruling on the bail application, Magistrate Segun-Bello said she had considered arguments for and against the application, and found out that under ACJA, “it is imperative to state that bail has been liberalised”.

The court stated that “taking a look at provision of Section 162 of ACJA, the prosecution counsel has not proven any reasonable apprehension that would warrant the court from denying the defendant bail.

“The prosecution counsel has placed nothing before the court to show why the defendant should not be granted bail.

“There is no evidence trendered before this court to substantiate the prosecution counsel’s claim that the defendant will jump bail, the Magistrate noted.

The court also held that the police counsel could not convince it on how the defendant is likely to influence prosecution witnesses in the cause of his trial if released on bail.

Consequently, Magistrate Segun-Bello upheld the argument of Dino’s lawyer, and granted the defendant, bail to the tune of N90million with two sureties in likes sum.

The court ordered that one of the sureties must be a civil servant not lower than Grade Level 14, and one must have easily identifiable residence in Abuja.

Moreso, the court held that Dino must deposit his international passport with the Federal Capital Territory Police Command.

In addition, the magistrate ordered that Dino must report to the Wuse police command every working day of the week until same is altered by the court.

The case was thereafter adjourned to June 6.

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