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Dino Melaye Feared Kidnapped, Phone Switched Off

Published

8 years ago

July 26, 2018

Eric

Dino Melaye has been allegedly abducted by unknown gunmen, his colleague Ben Murray-Bruce said on Thursday.

Mr Murray-Bruce, one of the key allies of Mr Melaye at the Senate, disclosed this on Twitter, citing the senator’s brother.

I have just been informed by Moses Melaye, @dino_melaye’s brother, that Dino has been abducted by unknown persons in a Toyota Sienna that blocked their car and overpowered them on their way to Kogi to answer to Dino’s court case. Lets be on the watch out. Will keep you updated.

— Ben Murray-Bruce (@benmurraybruce) July 26, 2018.

Mr Melaye was among the 14 senators who defected from the All Progressives Congress on Tuesday.

The controversial senator is facing separate charges for allegedly aiding criminals and attempted suicide.

The Kogi police commissioner, Ali Janga, who confirmed inviting Melaye to report at his office by 10:00 a.m. today, said he had not arrived, but strongly denied knowledge of his whereabouts.

“I did not send officers to attack him, please call Gwagwalada police to confirm if they have reports,” Mr Janga said.

Mr Melaye’s associates told PREMIUM TIMES the senator was feared kidnapped on his way to Lokoja, but could not ascertain the specific section of the Abuja-Lokoja highway where the incident might have occurred.

Mr Janga’s suggestion that Gwagwalada police should be contacted indicated that Mr Melaye might have run into the encounter while still within the Federal Capital Territory.

The FCT and Kogi State share a border after Abaji, which is about 170 kilometers south of downtown Abuja.

Mr Melaye was reportedly arraigned for attempted suicide in Lokoja yesterday. It was unclear whether he received Mr Janga’s invitation to appear at 10 a.m. while he was still in Lokoja for the court appearance or after he had returned to his base in Abuja.

Dino Melaye’s lawyer Mike Ozhekome told a Kogi court on Thursday that his client was attacked on Wednesday; and he had not heard from him since.

Mr Ozekhome, represented by Yemi Mohammed, told the court that he had on good authority that Melaye was attacked in Gwagwalada on his way to Lokoja.

“I learnt that he was attacked yesterday (Wednesday) in Gwagwalada on his way to Lokoja to attend his trial and up till now, I have not been able to reach him, I don’t know where he is at the moment,’’ he said.

Gideon Ayodele, a spokesperson for Mr Melaye, said the senator’s brother, Moses Melaye, reported the matter at Gwagwalada Divisional Headquarters shortly after the incident happened Thursday morning.

Mr Ayodele also said there were indications since Wednesday night that unknown persons were trailing Mr Melaye, and they were busy trying to ascertain the identity and motive of the individuals.

Mr Melaye’s number has been switched off since his whereabouts became a mystery earlier today.

Featured

Tinubu Nominates Oyedele As Minister of State for Finance, Moves Anite-Uzoka to Budget Ministry

Published

16 hours ago

March 3, 2026

Eric

A statement signed by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy Bayo Onanuga, has announced that “President Bola Tinubu has nominated Taiwo Oyedele as the minister of state for finance, replacing Doris Anite-Uzoka.

“Mrs Anite-Uzoka will now move to the Ministry of Budget and National Planning, as the Minister of State, her third portfolio in the administration.

“President Tinubu has today conveyed the nomination of Mr Oyedele to the Senate for confirmation in a letter to the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio.

“Until President Tinubu nominated him as a minister, Mr Oyedele from Ikaram, Akoko, Ondo State, was the chairman of the Presidential Committee on Fiscal Policy and Tax Reforms, which overhauled Nigeria’s tax system.

“Mr Oyedele, 50, is an economist, accountant and public policy expert.

“He attended Yaba College of Technology, where he obtained a Higher National Diploma (HND) in accountancy and finance. He attended Oxford Brookes University and earned a BSc in applied accounting.

“He also completed executive education programmes at the London School of Economics, Yale University, the Gordon Institute of Business Science, and the Harvard Kennedy School.

“Mr Oyedele spent 22 years of his working career at PwC, joining in 2001 and rising to become the Fiscal Policy Partner and Africa Tax Leader.

“Mr Oyedele is also a professor at Babcock University in Ogun State and a visiting scholar at the Lagos Business School.”

Featured

Defection: Atiku’s Son, Adamu, Resigns As Adamawa Commissioner

Published

21 hours ago

March 3, 2026

Eric

Adamu Abubakar, the first son of former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar, has resigned as Adamawa State’s commissioner for works and energy development, days after Governor Ahmadu Fintiri defected from the Peoples Democratic Party to the All Progressives Congress.

Abubakar’s resignation letter, dated 2 March 2026, was addressed to the governor through the Secretary to the State Government. He gave no reason for his departure.

The timing is pointed. Fintiri announced his defection to the APC in a statewide broadcast last Friday, saying his cabinet and the PDP’s state structure had moved with him. Within 24 hours, 22 commissioners and special advisers publicly announced they were following suit. Abubakar, whose father remains one of the PDP’s most prominent national figures, was not among them.

In a statement issued Monday night, Abubakar’s media aide Abdulaziz Jauro said the former commissioner thanked the governor for the opportunity to serve and pledged continued loyalty to the administration’s developmental agenda. He also expressed gratitude to his father “for granting him the moral support and blessing to serve the people of Adamawa State” — a line that, read in context, suggests Atiku was consulted on the decision.

Abubakar said his resignation was not a withdrawal from public life. “This does not mark the end of his commitment to public service,” the statement read, “but rather the beginning of new avenues for developmental collaboration.”

The resignation leaves unresolved the question of whether it reflects a political break with the governor over his defection or a personal decision unconnected to the broader party realignment now reshaping Adamawa’s political landscape.

Featured

DSS Nabs Man over Assassination Attempt on Peter Obi

Published

23 hours ago

March 3, 2026

Eric

Nigeria’s Department of State Services (DSS) has detained a man in connection with the recent attack and alleged assassination threats targeting Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi.

According to AIT, the shooting incident took place on February 24, 2026, in Benin City, Edo State, during a political gathering attended by Obi and several figures from the African Democratic Congress (ADC). The meeting was hosted by former APC National Chairman, John Oyegun. Gunmen reportedly opened fire at the venue, causing panic and forcing attendees to disperse for safety.

According to security sources, shortly after the attack, an individual identified as Udeme Monday Stephen allegedly took to social media claiming responsibility and issuing additional threats against Obi, warning of further violence.

Intelligence officials reportedly initiated swift investigations, employing digital tracing and forensic tools that led to the arrest of the 26-year-old suspect in Rivers State. He is said to be a teacher at a private secondary school in the Eliozu area of Obio-Akpor Local Government Area.

The suspect remains in DSS custody and is expected to face prosecution. The agency reiterated its commitment to responding to credible threats and safeguarding lives and national interests without bias.