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Senator Dino Melaye, representing Kogi West at the National Assembly, has
been arraigned before an Abuja High Court in Apo for attempted suicide,
attempt to escape from lawful custody and damage of police property.
The lawmaker was arraigned on Wednesday, barely 24 hours after he defected
from the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) to the Peoples Democratic
Party (PDP).
Dino pleaded not guilty to the six-count charge preferred against him, and
was subsequently granted bail in sum of N5 million and two sureties in
like sum.
Justice Silvanus Orji, the presiding judge, also ordered that the sureties
must be directors in the Civil Service and be residents of the Abuja.
The prosecuting counsel, Alex Izinyon, had told the court that the
defendant committed the alleged offences on April 24.
He said the defendant, while being conveyed in a police vehicle to Lokoja,
forced his way out and escaped.
Mr Izinyon further said that the defendant sat on the ground, holding a
substance in one hand threatening to drink it to kill himself so that he
can put the police officers in trouble.
The prosecutor also said that the defendant broke the glass of the vehicle
with his elbow and caused damage to police property.
He said the offences contravened the provisions of Sections
148,153,173,231, 326 and 327 of the Penal Code.
The counsel to Mr Melaye, Mike Ozekhome, prayed the court to allow the
bail granted to the defendant at the Magistrates’ Court Wuse on the same
charges to continue.
The prosecution opposed the application, adding that bail is at the
discretion of the court.
The judge upheld the submission of the prosecution and gave the new bail
conditions.
He said that the case would be assigned to another judge by the chief
judge after the vacation.
Dino Melaye has been in a running battle with the Nigeria Police Force. He
was earlier arraigned at a Lokoja court for attempt to mislead an officer
of the law among other criminal offences.