Sen Melaye granted N10m bail

Senator Dino Melaye, representing Kogi west, was on Wednesday granted bail by a high court sitting in Lokoja, Kogi State.

The Court, presided over by Justice Nasiru Ajanah, granted the troubled Senator bail on health grounds in the sum of N10 million, with a surety in like sum.

The Judge considered the health challenges of the embatted senator to grant the bail.

Meanwhile, the Federal Government (FG) on Wednesday asked a High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Maitama, Abuja to revoke the bail it earlier granted to Melaye.

The FG made the application following the senator’s failure to appear in court for the commencement of hearing on a two-count criminal charge the office of the Attorney General of the Federation preferred against him.

The Nigerian Police had on March 1, arraigned the senator at the court, accusing him of giving false information about an assassination attempt on his life on April 15, 2017.

Melaye had alleged that the Chief of Staff to Governor Yahaya Bello of Kogi State, Mr. Edward Onoja David, and others carried out the assassination attempt.

But police in its charge sheet marked CR/106/18, claimed that in the course of investigation, it discovered that Melaye was attempting to frame-up some persons with his claim.

Melaye allegedly told Abubakar, a son of a former governor of Kogi State in a telephone conversation how he framed Edward Onoja David in the assassination attempt.

The court on March 1, granted bail to the senator and adjourned the matter to today (Wednesday).

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However, when the mater came up, counsel to the FG, Mr. Labaran Shuaibu, applied for Melaye’s bail to be revoked since he was not in court for his trial.

He further said that the court should summon the person that stood surety for Melaye to appear and show cause why he should not be committed to prison for the absence of the defendant.

Shuaibu said, “My lord the defendant was granted bail by this court and the case was adjourned till today for hearing, but he is not present in court.

“The fact is that he was granted bail and he perfected the conditions and was released, whatever he may have done afterwards is not the business of this court.

“In the circumstance my lord, we shall be applying for this court to order the surety to the defendant to come and show cause. Otherwise, we shall be compelled to ask that the bail be revoked”, Shuaibu added.

According to him, the FG has lined up four witnesses that will testify against Melaye.

Responding, the defence counsel, Mr. Ricky Tarfa (SAN) accused the government of concealing the true facts and circumstances of the case to the court.

“My lord I expected the prosecution to be more forthright by laying the facts bare before this court.

“After the last proceeding, the defendant has been charged before different courts. One in Abuja granted him bail, but immediately he was released, he was taken on a stretcher to Lokoja the following day and charged before a Magistrate Court.

“That court refused him bail. However, an application was made before a High Court in Lokoja which took into consideration the facts of the case and ordered that the defendant should be taken into Police custody for proper medical care pending the determination of his bail application.

“His bail application before that court was adjourned till today for ruling”, he said.

 

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