ABUJA – Embattled Sen. Dino Melaye who was yesterday arrested by truck loads of operatives from Directorate of State Security and State Anti Robbery Squad, after a 24 hour siege on his house, has reportedly fallen out of a moving vehicle.
We gathered that, the lawmaker, who was initially arrested and detained at the SARS facility along the Area 1 expressway, Abuja, was informed that he was being taken to court at about 1:15pm.
However, a twist ensued on the way around the area 1 roundabout, when the police attempted heading towards Kogi state.
The lawmaker then resisted all attempts to divert the vehicle and raised alarm loud enough to attract attention of passersby.
One of the passersby, Babayemi, who spoke to journalists explained that their attention was drawn to the lawmaker’s plea for help, and immediately the SARS vehicle was surrounded by a sea of passersby.
According to Babayemi, the operatives became overwhelmed by increasing number of passersby and zoomed off to avoid being lynched by them.
We further learnt that Sen. Melaye whose two legs were almost on the ground in his attempt to get down was thrown out of the speedy vehicle.
Babayemi, in his narration of the dramatic incident said: “What happened was that we were at the area one roundabout when we saw the SARS vehicle carrying someone.
We saw the person struggling and shouting at the top of his voice. So many people now gathered to see what was happening.
When we looked close, we saw it was Dino Melaye. Immediately, we started shouting that we know this man who is fighting for Nigerians and that there is no way they are taking him anywhere.
Since some of us had read the news about what was happening to him, we said we won’t allow them take him anywhere.
That was how we rescued him from them and they drove away when people became too much”.
In the process, the Kogi West born senator was said to have sustained serious injuries and he was later taken to Zankli Medical Centre, Utako District, Abuja on a stretcher and with a neck protection.
The medical official explained that although, Sen. Melaye was not in critical condition, he is suspected to have broken a vertebrae.
He was being taken to Lokoja, the capital of Kogi, his home state, where he is expected to be interrogated by the police in connection to a murder case and other criminal activities.
We further learnt that he was to be paraded alongside previously arrested suspects who have allegedly confessed to being supported by Mr Melaye.
Kogi police commissioner, Ali Janga, told journalists that he did not plan to arraign the senator, saying he would only convene a press briefing about the matter.
Mr Janga did not immediately say whether he would cancel his planned press conference now that Mr Melaye has apparently escaped from being taken to Lokoja
Barely an hour after being admitted into the hospital, several truckloads of mobile policemen were spotted barricading the entrance to street where it is situated.
