Bayelsa State born lawmaker, Senator Ben Murray Bruce has said that Dino Melaye, the senator representing Kogi West, jumped from a police vehicle last week because he was repeatedly tear-gassed by officers.
Mr Murray-Bruce, representing Bayelsa East Senatorial District, said he visited Mr Melaye at the hospital on Monday and was not happy with the condition he met him.
“Just met with @dino_melaye. Very sad to hear what transpired. Dino is asthmatic, yet while in transit, the police gassed him & he could barely breathe. Second time they gassed him, he had to force his way out of the vehicle. Dino literally escaped death. SAD!” Mr Murray-Bruce said.
Efforts to make Police spokesperson, Jimoh Moshood to respond to Senator Murray-Bruce”s allegation did not yield fruit as he kept sealed lips to request for comments on this allegation.
Mr Melaye jumped out of a moving police vehicle last Tuesday in a bid to escape being taken to Lokoja, the Kogi State capital, to face trial for a slew of criminal allegations.
The senator was taken to the National Hospital by the police who have continued to monitor him on his sickbed until he would be strong enough to be driven to Lokoja for trial.
Mr Melaye has said he should be tried in Abuja, fearing he could be harmed in Kogi where his political arch rival, Yahaya Bello, is governor.
The police, however, insisted that Mr Melaye’s case would be tried in Lokoja where the offences were allegedly committed.
Although he has been at the hospital since Tuesday, the senator survived an attempt to recall him by his political opponents in Kogi State on Saturday when only five per cent of registered voters turned out for an exercise that required at least 51 per cent of registered voters.
Additional reports from Premium Times
