Police Siege: Melaye Campaign Organisation Appeals to Abdulsalaami’s Peace Committee

As policemen continued to lay siege on the residence of Senator
Dino Melaye, senatorial candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party
(PDP) for Kogi West senatorial district in the 2019 elections, the
Senator Dino Melaye Campaign Organisation has sent a Save-Our-Soul
to the Abubakar Abdulsalami-led National Peace Committee.

In a statement issued yesterday by the spokeperson of its Media
Directorate, Mallam Yakubu Bawa, the organisation said it had
become imperative to send SOS to the Abdusalaami Committee on the
impropriety of this new attempt to muzzle dissenting voices to
those in power.

The statement noted that four days before the invasion of
Senator Dino Melaye’s residence, he had alerted the world of a plan
to that effect which the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO),
Acting DCP Jimoh Moshood hurriedly denied, describing the
allegation as untrue and mischievous.

“With the unfolding event, we have every reason to be concerned
about the real motive behind the new attempt to arrest Senator Dino
Melaye considering the spate of strange and unresolved deaths of
persons in police custody in recent past,” the statement said.

The campaign organisation urged the committee to investigate
threats issued by leaders of the ruling APC in Kogi State who
boasted that Melaye would be out of circulation before the Atiku
campaign team visits the state.

The group also alleged that a candidate of the APC in National
Assembly election had also called and threatened his PDP opponents
to be prepared for intimidation and harassment, warning them to be
prepared to be blocked from traveling to their constituencies on
election day.

It warned that with the inaction of the IG, Ibrahim Idris on the
petition to the police chief to arrest and prosecute some political
thugs identified to be members of the All Progressives Congress
(APC), who disrupted the peaceful campaign of the Social Democratic
Party (SDP) candidate, Natasha Akpoti in Kogi Central senatorial
District, and also attempted to assassinate her, “it is crystal
clear that the APC, working in tandem with the police, is hell-bent
on crushing the opposition and killing democracy in Kogi State.

“Unfortunately, President Muhamnadu Buhari, in desperation for
re-election, pretends not to be aware of the serious dangers posed
to Nigeria democracy by his cronies in Kogi State.

“Kogi State judiciary is presently on strike with no known date
of resolution and it is disturbing that the Police will display so
much desperation to bring the senator into their custody with the
fear expressed for his safety.

“That this new onslaught commenced after the curious transfer of
Kogi State Commissioner of Police who the Kogi State Government
vehemently fought to be retained earlier in the year after an
official transfer was announced, gives room for apprehension.

“We are constrained to believe that there is a conspiracy to
keep Senator Dino Melaye out of circulation permanently by some
persons and it is the script that is presently playing out”.