The federal government has filed a two-count charge against Senator Dino Melaye for allegedly giving false information to the police in relation to claim in April 17 of an attempt on his life.
The charge marked: CR/106/18 was filed on January 31 this year before the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory in Maitama by the office of the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF).
Melaye is, in the charge, accused of falsely incriminating the Chief of Staff to Governor Yahaya Bello of Kogi State, Edward Onoja David, in his assassination attempt claim.
The first of the two counts read, “That you, Senator Dino Melaye, male, of the Senate, National Assembly, Three Arms Zone, Abuja, on or about the month of April 2017 at the Police Force Headquarters, Abuja, within the jurisdiction of this honourable court in the cause of an investigation into the alleged assassination attempt on you, sometimes in April 2017, you gave information to the police stating that one Mr. Edward Onoja David (Chief of Staff to the Governor of Kogi State) did mastermind the attack with intent to convict him for the offence which statement you either knew or believe to be false and you thereby committed an offence punishable under section 140 of the Penal Code Law, Cap. 89, Laws of Northern Nigeria, 1963.”
Melaye was said to have told Abubakar, son of a former Kogi State Governor, in a telephone conversation how he framed Edward Onoja David in the assassination attempt.
He was also said to have made the false claim in the statement he made to the police on April 17, 2017 during police’s investigation into the alleged attempt to assassinate him. No date is set yet for his arraignment.
Melaye was first elected into the House of Representatives in 2007 and was active as an anti-corruption crusader before his election into the Senate in 2015.