Dino Melaye, senator representing Kogi West Senatorial District, has accused the Kogi State Government of sponsoring thugs to attack him during a rally he organised in Lokoja, Kogi State.
Saka Seidu, a student of the Kogi State Polytechnic, was allegedly shot dead during the rally.
Melaye, therefore, asked the Senate to declare a state of emergency in Kogi State over the spate of insecurity in state and challenged the Kogi State government to disclose the true identity of the victim.
He denied that the person who was shot dead was not a student but a known suspected murderer in Kogi.
“I went on a regular visit to my constituency to brief my constituents about the government’s efforts on my recall. On Monday, I left my village and arrived in Lokoja in company with the Department of State Services (operatives) and policemen. When I arrived in Lokoja, I called the Director of DSS that I had the intelligence that the governor brought in assassins to kill me and the DSS director provided a lorry load of DSS men to accompany me. I also called the Commissioner of Police. I called the Deputy Commissioner of Police in charge of criminal investigation. The police commissioner provided me additional men. The DSS and policemen accompanied me to the gate of the Kogi State Polytechnic where I addressed a crowd,” Melaye told the Senate.
According to him, as soon as he finished addressing the crowd, “I got off the rostrum and opened my car to go in. I just saw gunmen from the other side firing sporadically. I ran into the bulletproof jeep and I saw one particular killer who is notorious and known in Kogi State as a murderer; in fact, he beheaded somebody in Okene and it was for that reason that he was brought to SARS in Abuja. He spent months in Abuja and was released few weeks ago. This particular criminal was the one that came and faced my car and opened fire on my car. Fortunately, he was hitting a bulletproof car.”
Melaye cited Section 305 (3) (c) of the 1999 Constitution, asking for the declaration of a state of emergency in Kogi State.
Ike Ekweremadu, deputy president of the Senate, who presided over the plenary, charged the security agencies to take the case seriously.
But the Kogi State Government denied the allegations, asking the police to investigate and prosecute Melaye since the preliminary report of the police had indicted him.
Kingsley Fanwo, director general, Media and Publicity, Kogi State Government House, urged the police to invite Melaye for questioning since the preliminary report by the police had indicted him.