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Nigerian govt drags Dino Melaye to court

Gov Bello
Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello [Photo Credit: The News Nigeria]
The federal government has dragged the senator representing Kogi West, Dino Melaye, to court on a two-count charge for alleged false information.
Mr. Melaye last April reported an alleged assassination attempt on his life while he was in his home state of Kogi.
The senator and the Kogi governor, Yahaya Bello, are members of the same party, APC, but are sworn enemies.
Mr. Melaye had accused the Kogi governor and his aides of being responsible for the alleged assassination attempt.
In the first count charge filed against him, Mr. Melaye was accused of deliberately giving false information to the police to frame the Chief of Staff to Mr. Bello, Edward David, as the mastermind of the assassination attempt on him at his hometown in Ayetoro-Gbede, Kogi State, last April.
In the second count, Mr. Melaye was accused of making false statement of facts in a phone conversation with Mohammed Abubakar, a son to the late former Governor of Kogi State, Abubakar Audu, with the intention of harming the reputation of Mr. David.
The case was filed through the office of the Attorney-General of the Federation at the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja on January 31, Punch Newspaper reports.
According to the charges signed by Magaji Labaran, the police discovered the alleged falsehood in Mr. Melaye’s claim while investigating the senator’s assassination claim.
The offences were said to be punishable under sections 140 and 393 of the Penal Code Law, Cap. 89, Laws of Northern Nigeria, 1963.
Mr. Melaye could not be reached for comments as at the time of filing this report.
However, addressing women of his senatorial district, who embarked on a peaceful protest at Aiyetoro-Gbede days after the alleged assassination attempt, Mr. Melaye claimed that Governor Bello was planning to assassinate him for fighting for the state’s workers and pensioners.
The senator said workers and pensioners in Kogi were suffering and dying, following the non-payment of 15-month salaries and pensions by the state government.
“Yahaya Bello collected N20 billion from the federal government as bailout fund. Still, he refused to settle workers. He also collected N11 billion from the Paris Club fund. Still, he refused to pay workers and pensioners.
“Children can no longer go to school. Tenants can no longer pay their house rent. Enough is enough, the people of Kogi State are tired of this government.
“The advent of Yahaya Bello as governor and Taofiq Isa as local government administrator in the political history of Kogi State has brought this unfortunate socio-political paradigm shift,” Mr. Melaye said.

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