On Sunday, it was reported that the office of the Attorney General of the Federation had filed a law suit against Dino Melaye, Kogi State lawmaker, for falsely claiming he survived an assassination attempt purportedly orchestrated by Edward David, Chief of Staff to Yahaya Bello, Governor of Kogi State.
This was in spite of the fact that the Nigeria Police had paraded six suspects back in April 2017 as the ones who had tried to kill Melaye.
While presenting the suspected criminals, Jimoh Moshood, Public Relations Officer of the Police, said the suspects, including a Local Government Council sole administrator, had “confessed to the crime”.
Listen to Moshood: “In compliance with the Inspector General of Police’s directive on the attack and attempted assassination/murder of Senator Dino Melaye, carried out on 15 April, 2015 at Iyala, Ijumo Local Government Area of Kogi State, the operatives of the IGP special tactical squad swung into action, and after a 10 days of painstaking and sustained surveillance, that is between 16 April, 2017 and 25th April, 2017, successfully arrested six members of the vicious and notorious hired assassin gang responsible for the attack.”
Among the sextuplet was Taofeeq Isah, the Chairman of Ijumu Local Government Area of Kogi State, where Melaye hails from.
“According to investigations so far, he [Isah] was discovered to be the mastermind, and executed the attempted assassination … on Senator Dino Melaye. He was alleged to have directed one Abdulmumumi, a.k.a Iron, now at large, who was said to be his personal assistant. The Abdulmumuni in turn recruited other members of the vicious and notorious hire-assassin gang mentioned above,” Moshood had said.
“Alhaji Isah, a.k. a Eko, the third suspect, further confessed to the investigator and admitted to have been sent by the chairman Ijumo local government area of Kogi State, Honourable Taofeeq Isah, to go and assassinate Senator Dino Melaye.
“I want the media and the public listening to us to know that investigation is in top gear to ensure that all other suspects at large are rounded up and all of them are brought to justice.”
The same police who paraded the assassination,their weapons,the car they used, have confessional statements of suspects,ask me who are my suspects now colluding with Minister of Justice to arraign me for misinformation over a case that is in Court where the court have accepted pic.twitter.com/CAc5fvKfVb
— Senator Dino Melaye (@dino_melaye) February 12, 2018
— Senator Dino Melaye (@dino_melaye) February 12, 2018
Moshood then went ahead to display pictures of bullet holes on the ambulance that the attackers used during the operation, as well as bullet holes on Dino’s residence, all in a bid to prove that the police did a thorough investigation.
Items recovered from the suspects were listed as one Hyundai Ambulance bus allegedly used in conveying the attackers, five AK 47 rifles, One Beretta pistol, two locally-made single-barrel shot guns, 25 expended shells of 7.62 mm ammunition, 13 expended shells of 9mm ammunition and 12 expended shells of gauge cartridge.
This fresh development of Melaye being charged with providing false information contrary to relevant sections of the penal code, is curious.
At what point during the police investigation was it discovered that Melaye’s claims were false? Could it be that Moshood was the one who provided false information by telling the whole world that the suspects paraded by the police had “confessed” to being sent to kill Melaye?
Why is the suit being filed by the office of the Attorney General of the Federation, instead of the Attorney General of Kogi State? What particular interest does the Federal Government have in the case?
If it is true that Melaye provided false information to the police, who then were those six suspects that were arrested and paraded, and what exactly was their crime? Has the police issued a public apology to Taofeeq Isah, the Local Government Chairman that was alleged to have masterminded the attempt on Melaye’s life?
If FG is suing Melaye, who will sue Jimoh Moshood?