Dino Melaye released, says police exhibited professionalism

Dino Melaye released, says police
exhibited professionalism
on october 24, 2013 at 11:02 am in news
ABUJA – THE Police, Wednesday, released anti-
corruption crusader, Dino Melaye, who was
arrested after he led a protest against the Minister
of Aviation, Princess Stella Oduah over allegation
that the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority,NCAA,
purchased two BMW bullet-proof cars worth N255
million for her.
This is even as a pro-Oduah group, emerged from
the Federal Ministry of Aviation, located at the
Federal Secretariat, Abuja, with some armed
hoodlums and attacked the protesters led by
Melaye.
The former member of the House of
Representatives, Thursday morning, said that the
Commissioner of Police in FCT was very civil and
exhibited professionalism in the discharge of police
duties.
He said, “I was released about 5:30 pm; I was taken
to the Department of Criminal Investigation, then
taken back to the Commissioner of Police after
keeping me for a while in the office of the
Commissioner of Police (Operations).
Dino Melaye
“From there, I was moved to the Assistant
Commissioner of Police (CID) and from there to the
State Criminal Investigation Department; I was later
transferred to CP.
“The man just said I should go. Nothing more, they
didn’t ask me anything and that was all. He pleaded
with me concerning the way the Area Commander
treated me. I must confess that the CP in FCT was
very civil and nice.”
Melaye, a former member of the House of
Representatives, was picked around 12:55 pm, by a
team of police men, from the FCT Police
Command,led by one ASP Odukoya Sunday, in a
police Hilux jeep with registration number: NPF
2128C.
His arrest came following his refusal to allow the
police drive away some of the protesters which
they had arrested on claims of obstruction of traffic
and disturbance of public peace.
Melaye had entered his vehicle to leave the protest
venue after rounding off, but when hinted that some
of his supporters had been arrested by the police,
he parked and rushed to the scene to plead for their
release. When his pleas for the release of the
protesters was rejected by the police, he then asked
the driver of the Coaster Bus conveying some of the
protesters not to move.
He asked the police to arrest him rather than going
with the protesters, who he noted, were innocent
Nigerians expressing their constitutional and
fundamental rights.
Before his arrest by the police,Melaye and the
protesters were fiercely confronted by the pro-
Oduah  group with dangerous weapons such as
matchets, long knives and sticks, but the repeated
pleas by Mr Melaye to his group to remain calm
prevented the protest from degenerating into what
could have resulted in serious injuries or possible
death of some persons.
Placards, banners and hand bills bearing “Oduah
must go”,”Jonathan,sack Odua over corruption”,”if
it was Yar’Adua or Obasanjo,  Oduah would have
been sacked immediately,”were torn  to shreds by
the pro-Odua group.
While the protesters were chanting “Odua must go,”
the pro-Odua group was chanting “Odua must
stay.”
Journalists at the event were not spared by the
pro-Odua group. The group attempted to seize
some video camera.
Motorists, passers-by and onlookers were
surprised at the turn of events given that the pro-
Odua group carried dangerous weapons without
any arrest or harassment by the police men.
The efforts of the hoodlums,Vanguard gathered,was
aimed at frustrating the protest.
Reacting to yesterday’s incident, the Special
Assistant to the Minister Mr Joe Obi said Melaye
did not have the credibility to embark on a protest
against his boss.
He asked: “In the first place how did Melaye realize
the funds he used in purchasing the fleet of over 20
cars which are numbered serially in his name?
” Secondly, has he accounted for all the funds he
collected when he was at the National Assembly?”
He continued: “Ever  since he lost re-election into
the National Assembly, he has been involved in this
business of  offering himself for hire to organize
protests. He in turn hires other people who join him
in embarking on his phoney protests. ”
He maintained that Melaye’s protests were never
anchored on altruism
He continued: “I  heard that there was some kind of
disorder yesterday because he couldn’t pay those
he hired to embark on the protest he led.
For now the Minister is only answerable to the
National Assembly which has summoned her to
come and explain the circumstances behind
purchase of the two BMW security  cars. The
National Assembly was elected by the Nigerian
people and the Minister is only answerable to that
institution. “