Friday 3 August 2018

Police Disobey Court Order, Withold Melaye's Passport

The Nigeria Police has refused to release the international travelling passport of the Senator representing Kogi West in the Senate, Senator Dino Melaye contary to the order of a Chief Magistrate Court II of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Abuja.

Chief District Judge II, Mabel Taiye Segun-Bello, gave the order directing the FCT Commissioner of Police, to release the International Passport of Melaye with immediate effect after a case instituted against lawmaker by the Police was struck out by the court.

An order of the court striking out the suit No: CR/12/2018 with the copy of the ruling obtained by OUR SOURCE said: "the first information report filed by the prosecution on 2 May, 2018 against the defendant Senator Dino Melaye is hereby struck out and the defendant discharged."

Consequently, Melaye had on July 25, 2018 wrote a "Letter of Authority" to the FCT Commissioner of Police Abuja authorising his counsel, Mike Ozekhome's Chambers to collect his passport from the police on his behalf.

Meanwhile, efforts by Chief Mike Ozekhome (SAN) to retrieve the international passport from the Commissioner of Police has so far proved abortive with the Police authorities delibrately disobeying the court order.

Melaye, while addressing journalists on Friday in Abuja, said the Commissioner of Police has refused to release the passport to him but asking him to personally come and collet the document, a development he said was a plan by the Police arrest him.

The Senator explained that his concern was not just because of his travelling passport, "but the need to curb the excesses of the Nigeria Police Force ahead of the 2019 general elections. Nigeria Police Force ought to enforce the law and not break it."

He recalled how he once requested for his international passport on June 6, 2018 for medical trip, which was given to him through his counsel and he subsequently returned it to the custody of the FCT Commissioner of Police upon his return from the trip, wondering why the Police is acting differently now.

"I have six baseless arraignments in different courts. No politician has been so humiliated like me. I don't have any police attached to me also. This is uncalled for," Melaye added.

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