Melaye charged with attempted suicide, escape from custody

Senator Dino Melaye has been arraigned quietly  by the police at a magistrate’s court in Wuse Zone II district of Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory.

He was re-arrested after being granted N90million bail.

Police charged the senator representing Kogi West with escaping from from lawful custody, nine days after he sensationally jumped out a police vehicle, taking him to Lokoja for trial over an alleged arms and money supply to two thugs.

Melaye’s dare-devilry, said to have been aided by two Hilux trucks that blocked the police vehicle, led Melaye to a private hospital in Abuja, where police pounced on him again and took him to the National Hospital.

News reports said with the police holding on to the senator, they may at any time take him for trial in Lokoja, where a court had fixed hearing in the case for 10 May.

In the case before the Abuja magistrate, Melaye was accused of deliberately breaking the side windscreen of a bus conveying him to Lokoja.

According to the charge, the police van conveying the senator was intercepted by a vehicle allegedly occupied by his brother, a lawyer, and another yet to be identified person who reportedly escaped from the scene after the blockade.

The case accused of making an attempt to commit suicide by jumping out of the police vehicle and falling on the ground, with a threat to implicate the police for his supposed death.

He was also said to have resisted a further attempt by the police to re-arrest him with the help of some persons who allegedly threatened to injure the police officers if they tried to arrest him.

The lawmaker was said to have escaped from the scene in another vehicle, thereby committing an offence punishable under sections 148, 153, 172, 173, 231, and 326 under the Penal Code.