The Federal government has filed a two-count charge against Senator Dino Melaye for giving false information about an assassination attempt on his life to the police in April 2017.
Recall that Melaye at the time of the incident, alleged that the Chief of Staff to Governor Yahaya Bello of Kogi State, Edward David Onoja, had orchestrated the assassination attempt on his life.
Well it appears the Federal government has conducted its investigations on the matter and found out that Melaye’s claims against Onoja were false. The Office of the Attorney-General of the Federation has consequently filed a two-count charge before the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.
In the first count filed on January 31st, Melaye who represents Kogi West in the Senate, was accused of deliberately giving false information to the police to frame Bello’s Chief of Staff as the mastermind of the assassination attempt on him at his hometown in Ayetoro-Gbede, Kogi State in April last year.
The first count read ”That you, Senator Dino Melaye, male, of the Senate, National Assembly, Three Arms Zone, Abuja, on or about the month of April 2017 at the Police Force Headquarters, Abuja, within the jurisdiction of this honourable court in the cause of an investigation into the alleged assassination attempt on you, sometimes in April 2017, you gave information to the police stating that one Mr. Edward Onoja David (Chief of Staff to the Governor of Kogi State) did mastermind the attack with intent to convict him for the offence which statement you either knew or believe to be false and you thereby committed an offence punishable under section 140 of the Penal Code Law, Cap. 89, Laws of Northern Nigeria, 1963.”
According to the charges signed by Mr. Magaji Labaran, the police discovered the alleged falsehood in Melaye’s claim while investigating the senator’s assassination claim.
In the second count, Melaye was accused of making false statement of facts in a phone conversation with Mr. Mohammed Abubakar, a son to the late former Governor of Kogi State, Abubakar Audu, with the intention of harming the reputation of Onoja.
The charge sheet stated that the offences were punishable under sections 140 and 393 of the Penal Code Law, Cap. 89, Laws of Northern Nigeria, 1963.
Melaye is yet to respond to this development.
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