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Order the Release of Dino Melaye, Reps Candidate Appeals to Buhari, IG

Published

5 years ago

January 11, 2019

Eric

A House of Representatives candidate on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Dr. Blessing Agbomhere, has appealed to President Muhammadu Buhari’ and the Inspector General of Police, Mr. Ibrahim Idris, to release the Senator Dino Melaye.

The House of Representatives hopeful, who intends to represent Estako Edo Federal Constituency in the National Assembly, said it is unlawful to continue to detain someone who has not been found guilty of any offence, and even deny him medication.

Aghomhere believes that Melaye will win his election and should be allowed freedom to campaign.

Below is detailed text of the appeal:

A PASSIONATE APPEAL TO PRESIDENT MUHAMMADU BUHARI AND THE INSPECTOR GENERAL OF POLICE TO RELEASE SEN. DINO MELAYE FROM POLICE CUSTODY AS DINO WILL BE RE-ELECTED WHETHER DETAINED, DEAD OR ALIVE

This is to prevail on the President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, President Muhammadu Buhari, to order the Inspector General Police, to release Senator Dino Melaye, a Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, representing the good people of Kogi West, from Police custody.

There is no gainsaying the fact that Senator Dino Melaye is the most honest, factual and vibrant member of the National Assembly and has maintained these sterling qualities which he has always placed above party and self, but for the sustenance of our democracy.

Senator Dino is being unlawfully detained in the Police custody over a mere allegation of suspected or perceived thugs shooting and injuring a Police officer.

Can anyone be vicariously liable for an offence allegedly committed by persons being suspected or perceived to be his thugs, when they are not even known to him under the Nigerian law?

Senator Dino Melaye has severally denied having any thug or thugs, and if any body or group actually assaulted any Police officer in the presence of the Senator, as being alleged, it is the duty of the Police to launch a total manhunt on such alleged thugs, and not Senator Dino, whom no clear evidence has linked to any thug.

The continuous detention of Senator Melaye is against the spirit of natural justice, denying him access to good medicare to attend to his deteriorating health is a violation of our constitution, while denying the candidate of a political party freedom of movement to campaign for his or her election is rigging and a rape of our democracy.

The presumption of innocence is a constitutional right of every person as provided in Section 36(5) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) which states that “Every person who is charged with a criminal offence shall be presumed to be innocent until he is proven guilty by a court of competent jurisdiction”. The Administration of Criminal Justice Act also holds this law sacrosanct. Denying Senator Dino Melaye access to medicare or granting him bail to attend to his health is a fundamental breach of his freedom to life, freedom of movement and a blatant disrespect for the Constitution of Nigeria which holds all Nigerians together.

The position of the law as it pertains to arrest and detention, irrespective of the offence committed is that, the Police has the right to detain an individual for up to 24hours before being charged with a crime or get the person released, while the person can be held back for a maximum of 96hours if he is being suspected of a serious crime, e. g murder, but in this case, he is not being suspected directly or indirectly for murder, but for a mere allegation, and this can be considered a witch-hurt and decor to prevent him from being re-elected as the Kogi West People have vowed to re-elect Dino Melaye whether dead or alive.

The Nigerian society is rife with the believe that the Inspector General of Police is acting out a prepared script by the Presidency and the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, to detain him in Police custody in order to prevent him from carrying out his campaigns ahead of the forthcoming elections, thereby denying him of his franchise. This act is against the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, particularly, Article 25, which recognises that every citizen has the right “to vote and be elected at genuine periodic elections which shall be held by secret ballot, guaranteeing the free expression of the will of the electors…”

In the light of the above I urge Mr. President to show respect for the Constitution and Laws of the Federation of Nigerian and direct the Inspector General of Police to release Senator Dino Melaye from Police custody to enable him attend to his deteriorating health condition and subsequently campaign for his re-election ahead of the forthcoming elections.

Dr. Blessing Agbomhere
PDP House of Representatives Candidate
Etsako-Edo Federal Constituency

Featured

Airforce Confirms Nigeria’s Readiness to Acquire 24 Fighter Jets from Italy’s Leonardo

Published

42 mins ago

April 20, 2024

Eric

By Reuters

Nigeria plans to acquire 24 fighter jets from Italy’s Leonardo (LDOF.MI), opens new tab to modernize its fleet and bolster its air force, air force spokesperson Air Vice Marshal Edward Gabkwet said on Friday.

The aircraft will arrive the country in four batches of six jets each, the air force said. Africa’s most populous nation will receive the first six M-346 fighter aircraft before the end of the year, Gabkwet said in a statement.

The news followed a visit by Claudio Sabatino, Leonardo vice president, to Nigeria’s air force chief in Abuja on Wednesday.

Leonardo will provide a minimum of 25 years maintenance support, the air force statement said.

Nigeria is trying to boost its ability to combat insurgency especially in the northeast of the country where Boko Haram militants and the Islamic State regional affiliate is active. Also kidnapping and banditry is rife across the country.

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Stay Away from CBT Centres, JAMB Warns Parents, Threatens Arrest

Published

2 days ago

April 18, 2024

Eric

As this year’s Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) begins on Friday, the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has vowed to arrest parents found near any Computer-Based Test (CBT) centre during the 2024 UTME exercise.

The directive was issued at the final briefing of the CBT centre owners, which was held virtually on Wednesday, 17th April, 2024.

The spokesman for JAMB, Fabian Benjamin, said this directive became necessary following the intrusive disposition of some parents during the Board’s previous exercises.

Benjamin, who quoted JAMB Registrar Prof. Is-haq Oloyede, said any parent, who disobeys the order would not only be arrested but his ward would also be disqualified from sitting for the examination.

Oloyede explained that this measure became necessary as it has been discovered over time that many of these intruding parents are facilitators of examination infractions while others have, by their actions, disrupted the Board’s examinations in the past.

He added that some miscreants also disguise as parents to infiltrate the centres to perpetrate all forms of infractions.

“The Board’s helmsman noted that going by the extant national policy on education, a candidate for the examination must have attained the age of 17 years.

“Therefore, it is evident that these parents had not allowed their wards to pass through the classes as defined in the document, hence the desperation to follow their wards to the examination venue with the aim of compromising examination officials.

“At any rate, it is clear to any discerning observer that these parents deserve to be sanctioned as they had obviously ‘smuggled’ underage children into the ranks of those scheduled to sit the examination,” the Board note through a statement.

Furthermore, the Registrar said all arrangements have been concluded for the conduct of the 2024 UTME, which will be held in over 700 CBT centres across the nation.

He disclosed that the Board expects a seamless exercise but it has nevertheless made adequate provision to tackle any technical glitch that might occur in the course of the examination.

He, however, warned that if a session experienced any technical challenge, candidates in subsequent sessions would be allowed to sit their examination as scheduled while the candidates in the challenged session would be rescheduled for the last session for the day or the following day or even further depending on the centre schedules.

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Oyo Govt Demolishes Operational Base of Yoruba Nation Agitators

Published

2 days ago

April 18, 2024

Eric

The Oyo State government, on Wednesday, demolished a building serving as the operational base of the Yoruba Nation agitators led by Modupe Onitiri-Abiola, in Ibadan.

Onitiri-Abiola, one of the widows of late Bashorun M.KO Abiola, had declared the creation of the so-called Yoruba Nation in a video posted online, which has been widely condemned.

Last Saturday, some armed men in military uniforms invaded the Oyo State Secretariat, with the motive to forcefully take over the State House of Assembly, before they were dislodged by the combined efforts of police and troops for the Nigeria Army 2 Division..

Mr. Fatai Owoseni, Special Adviser on Security Matters to Governor Seyi Makinde, confirmed the demolition of the house located at Toye Oyesola Street in Ibadan South West Local Government Area.

Already, no fewer than 29 suspects – including a lecturer – arrested in connection with the foiled armed invasion were on Wednesday arraigned by the police before a Chief Magistrates’ Court in Ibadan.

In a case with charge number Mi/520c/2024 between the Commissioner of Police and the 29 suspects, they were accused of a seven-count charge of treasonable felony, unlawful society, illegal possession of firearms, and conduct likely to cause breach of peace.

Inspector Bakare Rasaq, the Investigative Police Officer (IPO) at the State Criminal Investigation Department, Iyaganku, Ibadan, said the offence contravenes, and is punishable under Section 516 of the Criminal Code, Cap 38, Vol. II, Laws of Oyo State of Nigeria, 2000.